There is nothing worse than finding out from the doctors that the baby you are carrying has a rare genetic disorder. That’s what happened to mom Nicole Powell recently when she became pregnant with her son Tripp.
The doctors looked at the scans on the screen and told her that Tripp had Down Syndrome.
They said it was likely that his quality of life would be very low and recommended that the expectant mother have an abortion. The family was immediately taken aback but knew that for them, that wasn’t an option.
“They recommended we terminate the pregnancy, and I said absolutely not,” Tripp’s father, JJ Grieves, told KARE11.
Down Syndrome occurs when there is extra material on chromosome 21.
The condition affects around 1 out of every 700 babies born in the United States every year.
It can cause learning disabilities, developmental delays, as well as other complications. That didn’t discourage the family though.
While life was sure to be challenging for Tripp and his parents, they were willing to do whatever it took.
Several months later, baby Tripp was born. They knew in their hearts that it was the right thing to do, and no matter what happened, love would see them through.
“He’s the same as the rest of us,” said Grieves. “He just takes a little longer to learn, a little more caring, a little bit more loving, but isn’t that what the world needs?”
Tripp’s parents aren’t the only ones who care for him deeply though. Big brother Rayce does as well.
Recently, a video of Rayce holding Tripp in his arms and singing to him went viral all across the Internet. His song of choice was “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber. Rayce sings it to him all of the time because it reminds him of their relationship.
“He swears this song is about him and his brother. He’s singing, ‘I’d spend 10,000 hours, and 10,000 more if that’s what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours. I might never get there but I’m going to try if it’s 10,000 hours or the rest of my life, I’m going to love you,'” said Powell.
It’s so heartwarming to watch.
Rayce sees right past the disorder. To him, Tripp is his brother, and that’s the only label that matters.
“Love doesn’t count chromosomes, or as Rayce says, ‘Aren’t we all different?'” explains Powell.
It’s such a beautiful way of looking at the situation. Tripp was the baby that doctors didn’t want to happen, but the family is so glad that they didn’t listen.
Tripp is a joy for them.
To see the pure love in Rayce’s eyes as he serenades his younger brother is nothing short of incredible. The family is so proud of the two of them.
#NothingDownAboutIt is just one of the many hashtags Powell used when posting the short Facebook clip. We have to agree. The word “down” seems to imply a negative emotional feeling, but the scene shown in the video is the complete opposite. Once you see it for yourself, you’ll understand what we mean.
Check out the full video of Rayce singing “10,000 Hours” to baby Tripp below.
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