“Sometimes people make comments about my posts — saying how I overshare too often or questioning why I share Christian’s journey. Trust me, when we got the diagnosis of her cleft, this was never something I expected to do. It wasn’t until Christian was born that I felt compelled to share her story. Why? For several reasons.
1. Her story deserves to be recognized and seen. It may not be “insta-worthy” in the way some people may think. It isn’t always rainbows and butterflies (but it is like 95% of the time). But it’s important, and it’s worthy of being shared.
2. Raising awareness for babies born with clefts. “It’s just cosmetic. It’s a one and done surgery. They can fix that right up”. There’s so many misconceptions about clefts, and Christian gives a face and a life to the diagnosis.
3. As comfort for families walking a similar path. When I was pregnant, I was desperate for an account like mine — one that showed the every day life, the good and the bad, of being #cleftstrong I hope Christian can bring comfort to families searching for information and answers to such a scary diagnosis.
So I’ll keep sharing. I won’t go radio silent when things get hard. I’ll celebrate every step along this journey because it’s shaping Christian into the woman she’ll grow up to be. That’s beautiful. That’s insta-worthy. - @raising_a_christian
