Coral's story

by Dawn Mathieson

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Dawn and Coral

To begin the story of Coral first I would like to say all Down Syndrome children are very different little people and no two are alike. This is the thing I most struggled with in watching Coral grow because she was one of the slower in her academic levels. This was a constant heartache to me until I accepted her for who she is and stoped trying to make her keep up with who she wasn't. Coral excels in communication skill's and personality skills.

Coral was born on the seventh of November 1984 at 10.00 am after a forty-eight hour labour. I thought I was going to die. I was blessed with the arrival of a specialist doing his rounds at 9.30am. He saw the great danger my child and I were in and straight away took charge. Thank God. Coral was born half an hour after he took over. The cord was wrapped around my baby's neck and she took a long time to breathe but eventually did and let out a big cry. As soon as my husband left I new something was terribly wrong. The doctors were all coming in and nurse's were everywhere I could hear there whispers and my heart told me straight away something was wrong with my baby.

I called out to the specialist, "What is wrong?" He said to the nurse (not me) where is her husband. (I had been haemerouging so there was still a doctor trying to patch me up while this is all taking place. I yelled at him "My husband has gone home but I know there is something wrong so just tell me!" So he proceeded to sit down next to me crossed his legs and looked at me with eyes of steel and said "Your daughter is a Mongoloid. Do you know what that is?"

Coral's trauma's begun at such a young age. She had heart surgery at six weeks old. I was flown to Melbourne with her and I stayed with her from that day on. I was not going to give my baby to anyone even though it was suggested to me by many people in my family and my friends and the medical profession. (Thank God Downs are more accepted today. Back then, it wasn't so). While my baby was fighting for her life in surgery this social worker was talking to my husband (who had flown up thenight before) saying you can still give her up you don't have to keep her. I looked them straight in the eye and said "He can do as he likes but my baby is staying with me and no one is taking her. It was never mentioned again to give her up. So she had her surgery and came home to live with us. She was doted on by her big brother.

At sixteen her hipbone came out of its socket and she couldn't walk. She had surgery but doctors weren't quite sure what the outcome would be but after three months in hospital wheel chair bound, she began to walk again and did it with so much strength. Though she was in constant pain she never complained. I also have another daughter four years younger than Coral named Jodi (who has been a great moral and helping hand in Coral's life).

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Dawn with her children, Scott and Coral

For the Complete Story...
Contact: Cooinda Family Support Group