Harper, Catherine and Mae don't know yet, but their lives are united. All three were born with Down Syndrome in the same hospital, in three days in a row and overcame great difficulties during their first months of life.
Nicole Starr Photography is the photographer behind Juliasway.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and encouraging mothers of children with Down syndrome to breastfeed their babies. It was he who knew the story that united them and thought that the first birthday of three It should be celebrated in style, with a 'smash cake' and a beautiful photo shoot.
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The smiling Mae
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Mae is the funniest of the three. With his bright eyes and brown hair melts anyone. His mother tells:
"Mae has had in her first year: three heart surgeries including a pacemaker, all before seven months of age. She was hospitalized for 75 days before going home for the first time. A total of 136 days in the hospital in her first year of life. I can't wait to celebrate her resilience and beauty in this photo shoot. She is our 'powerful Mae'. "
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The sweet Cate
Catherine (Cate) is sweet and delicate. She has a look that falls in love as soon as she sees her and enjoys her birthday cake in a big way.
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Like Mae, his first year has not been easy. His mother recounts the difficulties he has been through:
"Cate was in the hospital for 80 days after she was born. She has gone through three major surgeries, one of them was open heart surgery. She has come a long way, from being a child with a heart disease of 2.4 kilos to a happy 7.7 kg girl who sits, babbles and plays with toys. "
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Harper lovely
The little girl Harper is an explosion of joy and movement, and judging by the photos, the one that most enjoyed the cake.
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Her mother shares some inspiring words to celebrate her daughter's first birthday:
"This session is so important to me, because we expected a healthy" normal "baby. The news of her trisomy 21 devastated us and her heart defect made us cry a lot. We anticipate the worst and prepare to lose her prematurely. I want the others know that the diagnosis is not necessarily terminal and that she has brought so much love, joy, patience and understanding in our lives ... She has changed every member of our family for the better. "
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Photos | Nicole Starr Photography and Juliasway.org (Reproduced with permission of the author)