“I literally felt like I lost the air in my chest. I couldn’t speak.”
That was the immediate reaction of a Florida father and businessman when he learned during a quick phone call to his wife — who was pregnant with their fourth child and had just spoken to a doctor — that their new baby was may be Born with Down syndrome..
“I was sad, I was angry, I was disappointed,” said Eric Berquist, who shared both of his thoughts in a video. (Watch the video at the top of this article) And in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Rare disease diagnosis strengthens bond between twin sisters: ‘Doing your best’
Berquist said that on the phone call, he “wanted to stay calm” for the sake of his wife, “who was crying” as the couple discussed the news.
He said, though, after they hung up, “I just felt it — heard this voice, say, ‘Who are you to tell me what a blessing is?'”
Eric Berqvist’s son, Asher, is shown tossing a football at home with his father at age 9. “I really feel like that day, the treasure was put in my hands,” Berquist said of the day her son was born. (Aric Berquist/The Lesson)
Deeply Faithful Christian parents The voice said “There was no anger. It felt strong and it felt safe – and it was so shocking that all the hairs on my arms stood up to the point that it hurt.”
She said she found herself “just bursting into tears.”
Oh Later ultrasound confirmed a diagnosis of Down syndrome for their new baby — and the couple did everything they could to prepare themselves and their older children for the baby’s arrival.
“He teaches me more about life and myself than I can dream of expressing.”
That year, Dad said, “Asher was born. And I really feel that treasure was put into my hands that day.”
Berquist described the joy she believes her youngest child has brought to the entire family — from the time he was born to today, including Recent marriage His daughter, the eldest of their four children.
“This baby has literally changed my life in an amazing way,” she said.
The Berquist family’s daughter Abby, center, is pictured at a recent wedding. The youngest child, Asher, is shown at the front, right. (Burkest Family)
gave The youngest of the couple Today is 13 years old and in the sixth standard.
“And he teaches me more about life and myself than I can dream of describing.”
He “loves the game,” Berquist added. “He’ll play flag football and he’s done soccer. He loves playing sports with his two older brothers.”
“He is available to everyone he engages with.”
She said her son Asher’s relationship with her brother Adam—who is closest in age to her—”is one of the richest and most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
Mother desperate to save clinical trial that could cure her daughter: ‘Cure sitting in fridge’
He said that both are very close.
Their smallest “possession The present moment Like no one I’ve ever met,” Berquist also said. “He’s there. And he’s available to everyone he engages with.”
His father said he makes others feel “acknowledged.” “And I’m starting to think that we, as ‘normal people’, have disabilities – not them.”
“It’s really amazing to see how he’s developed — just his growth at every stage,” Eric Berquist said of his youngest child. (Aric Berquist/The Lesson)
Today, Berquist also told Fox News Digital, “He’s doing great. It’s been really amazing to see how he’s progressed — just his growth at every stage. But more than that, As parents it’s really touching to see how connected they are. Many people in his life. It’s beautiful to look at.”
Developmental changes
Heart problems Down syndrome is a concern for children – and young Asher underwent bypass surgery in the first three months of his life, his family said. After spending a week in the hospital, he returned home to his parents and siblings.
Down syndrome is a condition in which a child is born with an extra chromosome.
Chromosomes determine how the body is built and functions. The way the body and mind develop in those born with an additional experience changes.
Family is selling dream home to pay for life-saving treatment for 5-year-old daughter
A baby is normally born with 46 chromosomes. A child with Down syndrome Have a full or partial copy of chromosome 21.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 5,700 babies are born with Down syndrome in the United States each year, and more than 400,000 people in the country currently live with it.
About 5,700 babies are born with Down syndrome in the United States each year, and more than 400,000 people in the country currently live with it. The blue and yellow ribbon represents Down syndrome awareness. (iStock)
Life expectancy for people with this condition has increased dramatically over the years.
In 1983, she was just 25 years old — but today she’s 60, according to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Denver, Colorado.
The most common type of Down syndrome is trisomy 21, which accounts for 95 percent of all cases. Less common types Down syndrome has translocations (caused by rearranged chromosome content) and mosaicism (when there is a mixture of two types of cells).
Not every baby with Down syndrome will show signs of growth.
Experts say there are no known ways to prevent this condition during pregnancy, nor are its underlying causes known.
There is a risk factor associated with Down syndrome. Mother’s age. For a 25-year-old pregnant woman, the odds are 1 in 1,250. At age 40, those odds are 1 in 100, the data show.
Father Ark Berquist, pictured walking on the beach, said he loved the “blessings” the birth of his youngest son had brought to his whole family. (Aric Berquist/The Lesson)
Down syndrome has both physical and developmental symptoms.
Physical symptoms may include a flat face. low altitude; short neck; small ears, hands and feet; And Decreased muscle toneaccording to the CDC.
Click here to sign up for our health newsletter.
Developmental symptoms during this time may include short attention spans, impulsive behavior, slow learning and speech delays.
Not every child with Down syndrome will exhibit each of these traits.
‘get through this day’
An important life lesson for Berquist from raising her son has been about being present.
Know that “your feet are on the ground today,” he said.
So, “walk through the day.”
For more health related articles visit www.foxnews.com/health
When life’s challenges come, she said, “We’re being purified when we go through hard things. We’re being made beautiful if we allow it and if we go through it.”
Click here to get the Fox News app.
Berquist also said, “Breathe that Engage with this beauty. Because this is your life.”
Angelica Stabler and Ashlyn Messier, both of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.