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Noah was born on January 27 2018 with Down syndrome, heart, lung and kidney problems (Picture: Yami Johnson/metro.co.uk) A mother has told of her relief at ignoring doctors who told her to abort her unborn baby after discovering he had Down syndrome. Mother-of-four, Yami Johnson, from Brooklyn, New York, has said medics treated her unborn son’s down syndrome diagnosis as ‘bad news’ that prompted doctors to ‘put pressure’ on her to terminate her baby, claiming he would be ‘too much hard work’ to raise.

Yami, 46, even refused an abortion consultation that was arranged for her and decided to keep her baby, putting aside the ‘negativity’ from doctors who made her think a down syndrome baby was ‘bad news’. But her son, Noah, now aged two, has defied doctors to grow up to become a happy and fulfilled toddler whose infectious smile has gained him 83,000 followers on an Instagram page dedicated to him.

Yami is speaking for Down Syndrome Awareness Month to show that having a child with down syndrome is ‘not a curse but a blessing’. She has also called for a change to attitudes towards children with the condition and the families who raise them.

Single mom, Yami, said: ‘I found out my baby has Down syndrome four months into the pregnancy. When doctors told me they made it sound like bad news, they made it seem like such a terrible thing.

‘That really did scare me and made my think about the diagnosis in a negative way.

They offered me termination and reminded me I had that option every week until I passed the last date. ‘They even scheduled an appointment to discuss a termination without my consent. I felt like the life of my child was not supported and I felt pressurized to terminate.

‘It’s really sad that I was almost convinced to abort because Noah lives a happy and healthy life. Having Down syndrome is not the end of the world and it’s not a curse or a punishment, it’s actually a blessing.

‘It’s what makes Noah special and we see it as something good rather than something bad.

‘A lot of parents with a down syndrome kid will agree with me when I say having Noah like he is, is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’

Noah lives a relatively normal life but does suffer with delayed learning and has missed some key baby and toddler milestones (Picture: Yami Johnson/metro.co.uk)

Noah, who was born on January 27 2018 was also diagnosed with an incurable congenital heart defect, lung disease, sleep apnea, when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, and kidney problems.

Yami said she was warned about her unborn son’s possible health issues at the same time she found out about Noah’s down syndrome. He has already had two open heart surgeries to fix his faulty heart and is now expected to be able to live a relatively normal life with the support of regular medication and a night time breathing aid.

‘I was devastated when they said he had all these problems and it was hard for me to deal with at first’, said Yami, a skin care consultant.

‘The Down syndrome thing didn’t really bother me because I had a friend whose child has Down syndrome and I grew to accept what our life would be like. I knew that I would still love my child no matter what.’

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in every 700 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome.

The condition occurs when an individual is born with an extra copy of a certain type of chromosome and causes learning delays, low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm.

Noah has missed some developmental milestones, including being able to walk and talk by himself, but his mother Yami continues to be delighted by the affection he shows, and joy he gets from his life. She said that Noah’s ‘adorable smile’ and infectious character made him an instant hit with friends and family who just couldn’t get enough of his joyful energy.

But Yami said she grew tired of sending out updates and photos to individual people about her son’s progress, so she decided to create an Instagram page dedicated Noah and accessible to all.

But what she didn’t realize at the time when she set up the page is that aside from her loved ones, ‘super Noah’ would go to become extremely popular on social media.

With 1m500 posts and more than 80,000 followers Noah’s story has captured the hearts of people from across the US and abroad, an unexpected success that Yami is taking advantage of to educate her audience about life with a Down syndrome toddler.

Yami, who also has three three other sons aged 28, 23 and nine, said: ‘I had no idea all these people would follow him, it’s crazy. I made it because I found it so much work sending out photos and updates to everyone I knew.

I just post photos of our everyday life, most of it is just cute and funny photos of Noah but I also use it to educate our followers about the condition. I wish I had found a page like Noah’s when I was researching about Down syndrome when I was pregnant.

‘This is my way of getting across what it’s actually like to have a Down syndrome child. I want to show off our positivity and I know it has helped a lot of moms and dads come to terms with their own situation.

He is so adorable and does the funniest things, that’s why I think so many people like him. When he smiles people just gravitate towards him.

It’s his down syndrome that makes him special and I celebrate him like a superhero.’

Yami added that she believes awareness and acceptance of people with Down syndrome is growing and improving. But she says there is still work to be done for expectant parents who are told their unborn baby has the condition.

She has called for medical professionals to stop treating Down syndrome as ‘bad news’ for parents and has said children like Noah should be ‘celebrated’.

Yami said: ‘The fact Noah has down syndrome allows me to love him even more. His Instagram provides a positive image for parents who might be scared.

‘Having a child with Down syndrome is special and I wouldn’t change how Noah is.

‘It’s been a good thing for me, having Noah has given me a new perspective on life. He’s taught me to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.

‘Having a baby like Noah is a blessing.’ 

Noah has been nicknamed ‘super Noah’ by his mom (Picture: Yami Johnson/metro.co.uk)

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