by Whitney Barthel posted in Parenting

Imagine having 12 kids. Now, imagine two of those kids having Down syndrome. Sounds kind of crazy, right" Not for Oregon couple Patti and Sam.

*Patti and Sam's family before the birth of Madison, their second daughter with Down syndrome.
Pastor Sam and wife Patti welcomed their first child, Jason, into the world on March 21st 1988. Little did they know that day would also end up becoming World Down Syndrome Day and would eventually hold a whole new place in their hearts.
Many years and several children later, the couple gave birth to a daughter. The little girl would be named Lily and be diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after birth.

Because of Patti?s ?advanced maternal age? (I detest that term) and the fact that the chance of having a baby with Down syndrome is much higher after having one child with the same condition, the couple was met with ridicule from strangers and acquaintances. In an interview with BabyCenter Patti stated,
I have caught wind of things people have said to my family and friends over the years? Things like "doesn't she know the risks""
[And] when I was pregnant with Hayden (my 11th baby) I had a visitor at church tell me?"that can never happen again." I said I wasn't sure what she meant, and she pointed to Lily, [our first daughter with Down syndrome] who was a toddler at the time, and said, "That can never happen again." I have no idea where she got her informat...