DIFFERENT IS BEAUTIFUL
IT ALL STARTED WHEN ONE MOM, HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILD MEANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
WHEN PIP WAS JUST A FEW DAYS OLD IN HER MOM’S ARMS, IN A ROOM FULL OF DOCTORS.
ONE OF THE GENETIC SPECIALISTS LOOKED AT THE MOM, AS HE WAS CONFIRMING HER DOWN SYNDROME DIAGNOSIS AND SAID,
“IF YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE ANOTHER BABY WE CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.”
DIFFERENT IS BEAUTIFUL
HAPPY SOUL PROJECT AT THE CORE, IS A MOMMA’S HEART.
IT ALL STARTED WHEN ONE MOM, HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILD MEANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
WHEN PIP WAS JUST A FEW DAYS OLD IN HER MOM’S ARMS, IN A ROOM FULL OF DOCTORS.
ONE OF THE GENETIC SPECIALISTS LOOKED AT THE MOM, AS HE WAS CONFIRMING HER DOWN SYNDROME DIAGNOSIS AND SAID,
“IF YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE ANOTHER BABY WE CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.”
THE MOM WAS STUNNED.
SHE WAS ALREADY IN SUCH A VULNERABLE STATE WITH RECEIVING THE DOWN SYNDROME NEWS, ALONG WITH OTHER MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS,
THAT THE APPROACH THAT DOCTOR TOOK, TO THIS DAY STILL BOTHERS HER.
THE AUDACITY THAT HE FELT HE COULD PLACE ANY VALUE ON THE LIFE OF HER CHILD.
THE APATHY HE PRESENTED & LACK OF COMPASSION FOR THE SITUATION, CHANGED HER.
LITERALLY.
IN THAT MOMENT, SHE KNEW.
THE MOM WAS STUNNED.
SHE WAS ALREADY IN SUCH A VULNERABLE STATE WITH RECEIVING THE DOWN SYNDROME NEWS, ALONG WITH OTHER MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS, THAT THE APPROACH THAT DOCTOR TOOK, TO THIS DAY STILL BOTHERS HER.
THE AUDACITY THAT HE FELT HE COULD PLACE ANY VALUE ON THE LIFE OF HER CHILD.
THE APATHY HE PRESENTED & LACK OF COMPASSION FOR THE SITUATION, CHANGED HER.
LITERALLY.
IN THAT MOMENT, SHE KNEW.
SHE FELT SOMETHING
shift.
SHE ACTUALLY STOPPED LISTENING TO EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON IN THE ROOM.
HER HUSBAND CAN REMEMBER HER, JUST TUNING OUT.
SHE CAN STILL PICTURE EXACTLY WHERE SHE WAS SITTING. AND HOW SHE WAS HOLDING HER DAUGHTER PIP, SO TIGHTLY & PROTECTIVELY IN HER ARMS, AS TEARS RAN DOWN HER FACE.
THE DOCTORS THOUGHT SHE WAS UPSET ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS. AND, WHILE SHE MOST DEFINITELY WAS.
SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY GUTTED. SHOCKED BY IT INITIALLY. THEN DEVASTATED TILL SHE KNEW MORE.
SHE WAS IGNORANTLY UNAWARE OF WHAT DOWN SYNDROME MEANT.
FOR HER CHILD.
FOR HERSELF AS A MOTHER.
FOR HER OTHER CHILDREN.
HECK, EVEN FOR HER HUSBAND. SHE COULD HARDLY LOOK AT HIM THE FIRST FEW DAYS. BECAUSE EVERY TIME SHE DID, SHE’D START CRYING, THINKING THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK HIS LITTLE GIRL DOWN THE AISLE.
SILLY NOW, SHE KNOWS.
BUT AT THE TIME, SHE WAS GIVING HERSELF GRACE TO GRIEVE.
SHE HAD TO MOURN WHAT SHE THOUGHT HER CHILD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
SHE FELT SOMETHING SHIFT.
SHE ACTUALLY STOPPED LISTENING TO EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON IN THE ROOM. HER HUSBAND CAN REMEMBER HER, JUST TUNING OUT.
SHE CAN STILL PICTURE EXACTLY WHERE SHE WAS SITTING. AND HOW SHE WAS HOLDING HER DAUGHTER PIP, SO TIGHTLY & PROTECTIVELY IN HER ARMS, AS TEARS RAN DOWN HER FACE.
THE DOCTORS THOUGHT SHE WAS UPSET ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS. AND, WHILE SHE MOST DEFINITELY WAS.
SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY GUTTED. SHOCKED BY IT INITIALLY. THEN DEVASTATED TILL SHE KNEW MORE.
SHE WAS IGNORANTLY UNAWARE OF WHAT DOWN SYNDROME MEANT.
FOR HER CHILD.
FOR HERSELF AS A MOTHER.
FOR HER OTHER CHILDREN.
HECK, EVEN FOR HER HUSBAND. SHE COULD HARDLY LOOK AT HIM THE FIRST FEW DAYS. BECAUSE EVERY TIME SHE DID, SHE’D START CRYING, THINKING THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK HIS LITTLE GIRL DOWN THE AISLE.
SILLY NOW, SHE KNOWS.
BUT AT THE TIME, SHE WAS GIVING HERSELF GRACE TO GRIEVE.
SHE HAD TO MOURN WHAT SHE THOUGHT HER CHILD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
And what she’s learned since is:
A diagnosis can’t predict the extraordinary love you will have for your child.
A Genetic Specialist can’t understand the fierce value you place on your baby’s life.
A friend might not realize that your kid is an individual made up of so much more than a disability.
A stranger can’t possibly know the magical insight you get to experience, by seeing life through the eyes of someone with Down syndrome.
An extra chromosome doesn’t mean the end of what you imagined.
It almost means a life more beautiful than what you ever could envision.
And what she’s learned since is:
A diagnosis can’t predict the extraordinary love you will have for your child.
A Genetic Specialist can’t understand the fierce value you place on your baby’s life.
A friend might not realize that your kid is an individual made up of so much more than a disability.
A stranger can’t possibly know the magical insight you get to experience, by seeing life through the eyes of someone with Down syndrome.
An extra chromosome doesn’t mean the end of what you imagined.
It almost means a life more beautiful than what you ever could envision.
And with that Happy Soul Project was born.
That Doctor without knowing, fueled that mother with a powerful purpose to create change.
For her daughter.
For others.
And for mothers like her.
Happy Soul Project began as a platform for founder, Tara McCallan, to share her journey when her daughter Pip was born with Down syndrome. And what began as a blog has now grown into a multidimensional organization which provides support and encouragement to individuals with disabilities, terminal illnesses, and vast differences by advocating for inclusivity.
Happy Soul Project is about finding joy unexpectedly, seeing the hope in hardships, advocating tirelessly for change while breaking down stigmas, shifting perspectives and of course celebrating the beauty in differences.
And with that Happy Soul Project was born.
That Doctor without knowing, fueled that mother with a powerful purpose to create change.
For her daughter.
For others.
And for mothers like her.
Happy Soul Project began as a platform for founder, Tara McCallan, to share her journey when her daughter Pip was born with Down syndrome. And what began as a blog has now grown into a multidimensional organization which provides support and encouragement to individuals with disabilities, terminal illnesses, and vast differences by advocating for inclusivity.
Happy Soul Project is about finding joy unexpectedly, seeing the hope in hardships, advocating tirelessly for change while breaking down stigmas, shifting perspectives and of course celebrating the beauty in differences.
