Meet Gene
Gina Daly found out she was pregnant with her son Gene on March 21st, not aware that it was World Down Syndrome Day at the time.
After Gene was born, her “rainbow baby with an extra colour”, she discovered how significant that date was; “It all made sense to me then, so now we celebrate Gene and all our friends and also celebrate that very special time finding out that we were expecting him”. Before Gene was born, Gina hadn’t known anyone with Down syndrome in person, just online; “it’s so lovely to have a community or people to share all of our experiences.”
When Gina meets families out and about who also have children with Down syndrome she finds a sense of community; “just to have that community, for us all to celebrate at the same time, our amazing children, it’s just fantastic”. Speaking on her online following, Gina receives a lot of DMs from parents; “there’s been quite a few mammies who are due to have babies… I tell them you’ll never ever feel, and I can say from the depth of my soul, a love like it,” some of the mammies then go on to send Gina pictures of their babies when they are born and the mothers message “I understand now what you meant, that love, that feeling” and Gina finds it very “special to watch those babies grow up and its very special to be able to say to people ‘it’s going to be ok, you’re going to be absolutely fine, if not better!”.
Gene benefitted from early years supports in their local Louth Meath branch; “we got a really invaluable service, it was the early years intervention which prepped Gene for playschool and he is thriving now, he is doing absolutely fantastic”.