for those of you who have been on our journey with us for  a while you would know those 3 little words that changed my life, 5 years ago today…

‘are you ok’…..I was at my routine 36 week checkup, when my Obgyn noticed that our yet to be born baby had a severe brain abnormailty….he was doing a routine ultra sound and then froze the screen, walked across the room, grabbed a huge book off the shelf, flipped through it, and then pointed to a picture in it, saying ‘that looks like that'(pointing to the screen on the ultra sound)….he then booked me an urgent ultra sound which was to happen 2 hours later, and told me to come straight back after it….he then asked me those 3 little words which was the beginning…..’are you ok?’

…no I wasn’t…

2 and half weeks later, after 3 long ultrasounds, multiple doctor and specialist appointments, a tour of NICU, a change of hospital where our baby was to be born, after being told ‘if she survives her birth she will be going straight to NICU at the Royal our local public hospital, thus changing from the hospital I was booked into to the Royal, and no sleep for those 2 and half weeks….we were admitted to be induced…

those words still etched firmly in my memory, just like it was yesterday….’are you ok’

I can’t believe that 5 years have passed already….sometimes they seem to have flown by, yet others they seem to be painstakingly slow….

so much has happened in the last 5 years, life has been full of ups and downs, life has been good to our family, very good in fact because Veronika survived, survived what was later revealed to be a massive bilateral stroke in utero, a stroke of magnitude that we have been told would have almost certainly killed any adult…

Veronika is a hero in my eyes as she continues to change perceptions around being differently abled…cerebral palsy-hemiplegia, Down syndrome, congenital heart defect, dyspraxia, severe hypotonia, multiple food intolerances, developmentally delayed, and epilepsy these are all ‘labels’ from doctors….not the ‘labels’ I see in Veronika funny, cheeky, determined, amazing, inspiring, strong, adorable, beautiful, stubborn, hero…

we are blessed to have the most amazing inspiring daughter any parent could wish for, Veronika not only rocks her extra chromosome, but she rocks our world for the better. Veronika’s smile  lights up any room she is in and I am delighted to be her Mum….we will continue to give Veronika every opportunity to fulfill her potential then just a little bit more…

yes ‘I AM OK’….5 years ago I wasn’t, but today I AM OK…