CLARENCE, N.Y. (WKBW) — The past year has been full of doctor's appointments for Clarence couple Jack and Mary Grace Stieringer, leading up to the birth of their son Isaiah.
Their doctors did a test when Mary Grace was pregnant and found out Isaiah would be born with Down syndrome and that he had a heart defect.
"They all deserve a chance, Down syndrome doesn't really change how much you love them," said Jack.
But doctors in Rochester gave them bad news about a surgery Isaiah needed for his heart.
"They sent us a message saying that they wouldn't do the procedure if he had Down syndrome and suggested palliative care and obviously we were not OK with that," said Jack.
They got that message through their health care portal.
"It was pretty brutal," said Mary Grace.
Their doctors in Buffalo referred them to Rochester, so the family came back to Buffalo with this news.
"And they were all flabbergasted that they had made that decision and then that day they sent our files out all over," said Mary Grace.
Doctors in Boston took the case and that's where Isaiah was born.
"Everything happens for a reason," said Jack. "I couldn't describe how much I love this kid, as soon as I held him, I've never loved anything so much before. The Down syndrome diagnosis doesn't change anything."
They're now connected with Gigi's Playhouse. After his next surgery in June, he'll start going to classes.
"There's a lot out there and it's not as difficult as you think it's going to be. With any kid there's gonna be challenges right, but there's a lot of people out there to help you get through whatever you're going through."
She hopes this helps the families she serves at Gigi's, which is 100% free and to keep it that way, you can support them by taking part in our Give $7 Campaign, click here.
