Meet Joanna, a two year old who is rocking that extra chromosome like a boss.

Some words from Joanna’s Parents:

Joanna Marie Slaiman, a gift from God shining her light since the day she was born. Here is her story of being a fighter and a blessing from God up to this very day.

Teresa and I always wanted children since we were married. We struggled early on with 3 miscarriages and went through a lot of heartache and soul searching. We still wanted children and were searching for options as to why we were struggling to stay pregnant. Then the moment came were we were once again pregnant. We felt overwhelmingly excited and scared since we still had no answers as to why we couldn’t stay pregnant. This time was different however as we made it well into the second trimester. We decided then to do blood test screening to make sure everything was still on the up and up. A few weeks go by and the phone rings. It’s the doctor’s office and they would like to schedule an appointment to discuss blood test screening results. Fear was going through our minds as we did not know what to expect. We go to the doctor’s office and proceed with the normal sonogram and measurements. Then the doctor came in and talked to us about the blood test screening. At this point we knew we were having a little girl and he said your daughter has trisomy 21 or what is known as Down Syndrome. Teresa and I honestly didn’t care! We were just happy that the pregnancy was going well and knew with the diagnosis that things may be a struggle with Joanna. All we cared about was making it through the pregnancy and meeting our little peanut.

We are now a little under 7 weeks away from our due date. We went in for a routine checkup and by the time we left we were told “blood flow to Joanna is in the 10th percentile and she hasn’t gained any weight since your last visit. Go home, get your stuff and come right back. You’re going to be parents in a day or two.” Two days later we became parents to a little 3lb bundle of joy, but we were not out of the woods yet. Joanna was a little jaundice and had a hole and blood clot in her heart. Joanna though was a fighter, and after spending the next 3 weeks in the hospital we finally got to bring our miracle home.

Since then we have been truly blessed to have her in our lives. It’s amazing watching her grow and take on any challenges that come her way. She is so friendly and full of unconditional love. The affect she has on others is truly amazing! She brings out the best in people as well as ourselves. She keeps us on our toes all the time as well as busy with her therapies and appointments. In the end though we would never change a thing. By the grace of God she is here and we truly believe that she is making people better every single day.

Oh, the places you will go, Joanna!

It was a pleasure to do a special photo session with some kiddos from Western New York who have Down syndrome for the third year in a row. I am hoping to spread awareness locally on messages of acceptance and beauty to individuals with Down Syndrome.

Our local news station aired the story last year to shine a beautiful light on our photo shoot experience. You can watch the story here.

BETHANY CHASE PHOTOGRAPHY IS A TRUSTED AND EXPERIENCED PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER IN ROCHESTER NY THAT CREATES CUSTOM NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY, MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY, BABY PHOTOGRAPHY, CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY AND FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCES FOR CLIENTS ALL ACROSS THE AREA. BETHANY CHASE PHOTOGRAPHY CURRENTLY SERVES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING NEW YORK AREAS: ROCHESTER, WEBSTER, PENFIELD, PITTSFORD, BRIGHTON, PERINTON, FAIRPORT, HENRIETTA, SPENCERPORT, GATES, CHILI, IRONDEQUOIT, GREECE, CHURCHVILLE, MENDON.

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