Mother Karen Lawrence tells us why having her daughter Martha inspired her to become an author, having recently published Letting The Light In: How A Baby With Down Syndrome Changed My Life
My husband, Adrian, and I have seven children. We had planned to stop at six, but then, after a very difficult year when both our fathers died, we decided to have one more baby. Our youngest child, Martha, was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome shortly after her birth. It came as a huge shock.
Martha is 15-years-old now. Her heart surgery in infancy was very successful, and she is now fit and well. She attends a local school for children with moderate learning difficulties, where she is very happy.
Martha loves dancing, yoga and anything to do with Spider-Man. She has recently started learning to play the cello and performed in her first concert just before Christmas.
Martha loves holidays and travel. She enjoys walking, and can cover 10 miles in a day with plenty of cake and lunch stops. So far, she has shown no interest in getting a job when she grows up, saying that she would prefer to spend all her time on holiday and having fun.
I have recently published a book about my experience of having a baby who has Down’s syndrome. It’s called Letting The Light In.
I found Martha’s early months very difficult. My faith, my family and my sense of identity were all shaken by the arrival of this child with challenges. I felt guilty about having brought a disabled child into the world. I worried about her impact on my other children. I struggled through her heart surgery and all the interventions she needed. I went on a profound personal journey of grieving, acceptance, and new discoveries before I was able to welcome Martha as the precious gift that she is.
I wrote the book to share my experience as honestly and openly as possible. I hope to help other families who may be dealing with similar issues. The book has also been welcomed by midwives and other health professionals.
It took me fourteen years before I felt ready to tell this story. I have taken up writing since the Covid-19 lockdowns, and the time seemed right to write about Martha.
I wrote the story quickly as it was all already on my heart. It felt very good to be able to share what I have learned and reflected on over the years since Martha was born. I became a midwife a few years ago, and this has given me additional perspectives, which I share in the book.
The book includes a postscript about my thoughts on pre-natal testing for Down’s syndrome from my dual perspective as both a parent and a midwife. I hope this will encourage people to think about this complex issue.
Letting the Light In has been very well received and I have had many lovely reviews. It has been welcomed by parents of children with Down’s syndrome and other disabilities, as well as by Christians interested in my faith journey, and by health professionals.
I have given a talk based on the book to a group of student midwives. I will be speaking about it shortly at a local special needs support centre.
People have described the book as ‘heart-warming’, ‘beautiful’, ‘honest’, ‘raw’ and ‘naturally empathetic’, and I have had lots of lovely reviews on Amazon.
I have wanted to be a writer for many years, but I only really found time when the Covid-19 lockdowns started. Since then, I have written three novels (all still in draft!) I have also published a book about finding calm, called Finding Your Calm Space, as well as my memoir about Martha. My goal this year is to find an agent for my novel about outlaw midwives in a dystopian future Britain.
You can get a copy of Letting The Light in: How A Baby With Down Syndrome Changed My Life here.
I am donating some of the proceeds from sales of the book to the Down’s Syndrome Association.
You can see more about my writing at my website
