A Mother's Story: 'Why Did the Doctor Say He Was Sorry?'

When Matt and Jodi Perry from England were eagerly awaiting the birth of their second child, they never expected the concerned look on the doctor's face as he called them into his office and said, "I'm sorry."

Initially, the couple was alarmed. "What could possibly be wrong with the pregnancy?" they wondered.

Jodi had been feeling quite well, so there was no reason for concern until the doctor revealed with a somber expression that Jodi was carrying twin girls, both with Down syndrome. "Honestly, we couldn't hide our surprise at the doctor's reaction," Matt recalls. According to him, the response was unprofessional and insensitive.

"The doctor made us feel like we received a heavy burden, like we were different from everyone else," Jodi painfully recounts. "On that day, I didn't feel the hope and anticipation, the joy and excitement of becoming a mother. I felt empty, confused, as if I had nothing to truly look forward to."

According to them, the healthcare system offered no guidance regarding the pregnancy. "No one prepared us for what lay ahead, how to care for babies with Down syndrome, and how to handle everything. We were very worried about what the future held. We didn't know if our daughters would ever be able to talk, walk, or behave like other children, let alone attend kindergarten or school. We were very confused."

But then Abigail and Isabel were born, and their world changed completely.

"Even though people tended to look at them with pity and distance, we gave them all the love in the world and showed others that they're no different from any other child. To this day, I can't understand why the doctor was sorry. If I met him now, with Abigail and Isabel already five years old, I'd ask him why he apologized. I'd request that he look at Abigail and Isabel and see that we wouldn't change a thing about them. They are absolutely perfect just as they are," she concludes.