“I love her eyes! I love the pretty ring in her eyes, it looks like lots of little sparkling stars,” the little boy exclaimed cheerfully.

We were in church, my Christina with Down syndrome was still in a baby carseat, and that little boy couldn’t have been older than four. I had no idea what he was talking about and was still in my deep dark pit, grieving my child’s permanent condition. I looked at Christina, and my tears were blinding me from being able to see ALL the goodness and beauty she had. All I saw was gloom and doom. I saw slanted eyes, which are a typical feature of Down syndrome.

A few days later we had a Pediatrician appointment, and the doctor pointed out that ring in her eyes, and told me that this can be a typical feature in children with Down syndrome. They are called Brushfield spots. They are small white spots around the iris and occur in 37% – 78% of individual with Down syndrome.

When our doctor gave me the technical and medical definition of the Brushfield spots, my thoughts went to that little boy in church.

Here was a little four year old boy who saw Christina’s ring in her eyes, and he loved her eyes, he saw sparkling stars. I felt ashamed, embarrassed and angry at myself, because I saw gloom and doom and it never occurred to me to look deeper and see ALL that was good.

I saw a diagnosis and the little boy saw sparkling stars!

“I love her eyes.”

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Daniela