The Extra Chromosome That Changed Me

Acelyne got the call at work. “Are you sitting down?” The doctor told her: trisomy 21. Down syndrome. The joy was “vacuumed out of her.”

But that changed when she met Jaxson, 3 pounds, wired up in the NICU and in her words, perfect.

Acelyne takes us through what happened after the shame—the NICU prayers, the school fight when Jaxson was disqualified twice from deaf school for ableism, and how a quiet, introverted mom found a warrior voice she didn’t know she had.

This conversation is an example of what it means to stop praying for God to remove the battle and start trusting He prepared you for it all along.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

00:00 The Phone Call: “Are You Sitting Down?”
03:48 Building Courage: “I Have to Be His Voice”
04:42 The Diagnosis Day: When Joy Was Vacuumed Out
09:40 The First Call Was to the Minister
13:25 Holding Onto 20%: Brother Neil’s Prayer
17:08 When the Heart Shifted: Second Trimester
19:18 Two Months Early: Jaxson’s Premature Birth
23:31 “He’s Perfect”: The First Moment
28:08 Whatever It Took: NICU Prayers and Prayers
34:43 Finding Out He’s Deaf—And Realizing God Prepared Her
36:02 The ASL Classes She Took Years Before
38:50 Teaching Him Prayer in Sign Language
42:47 The School Fight: Disqualified Twice for Ableism
48:33 Becoming the Warrior Her Son Needed
52:21 Little by Little: Seeing What God Wants Us to Do
54:26 “That Extra Chromosome Was Meant to Be”
56:24 What Pain Teaches: From Fear to Joy and Gratitude
57:31 Trusting God: Shaping Worries Into Prayers of Gratitude
59:33 Advice for Parents: Be the Voice They Need
1:01:31 How Trials Humble Us
1:03:19 If You Could Tell Your Pregnant Self One Thing: “Don’t Worry”

Sitting there listening to Acelyne say, “That extra chromosome wasn’t a mistake—it was meant to be,” I kept thinking about those ASL classes she took years ago. How God was preparing her for a battle she didn’t even know she’d fight.

Acelyne’s story is not about accepting a diagnosis or a future she didn’t plan for. It’s about realizing that God’s plans are far bigger than our fears. Yes, He gives us battles, but He also gives us the strength—and in Acelyn’s case, the courage—to fight them… if we’re willing to let God show us.

And maybe that’s something God is waiting for us to do too.

If Acelyne’s story moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe to Making Changes wherever you listen to podcasts. And remember—the battles God gives us are proof that He believes we’re strong enough to fight them.

Thanks for listening, and may your change uplift you.

Connect with Aliw Garcia Pablo, the Making Changes Host instagram.com/aliwgarciapablo

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