Hello! My name is Jami Smith and I am a stay-at-home mom. My beautiful daughter, Peyton, has 18q-. I have found your newsletters to be extremely helpful and informative, so of course, I am eager to include Peyton on your web page.

Peyton is a beautiful, smart, thirty month-old girl who is a blessing to us. She has a nine month-old sister, Presley, and they absolutely adore each other! Peyton is the best big sister anyone could imagine! That's lucky for us because she has another little sister on the way! We have a very busy household trying to keep up with all these little girls, and Peyton couldn't be more helpful! She is almost a "second mom."

Peyton was diagnosed with 18q- when she was thirteen months old. The doctors, and we, noticed she was "failing to thrive." However, when the report came back that she had a chromosome abnormality, we were all shocked. Shortly after the diagnosis we were bombarded with more problems than we could imagine. Maybe "problems" is the wrong word. We look at them more as "challenges." Peyton has Atrial Septal Defect, her left kidney is missing, she has short stature, and she has many other physical abnormalities associated with 18q-.

Due to doctors' requests, we had her mental development tested several times. (I have learned that they do not always know best!) She has ALWAYS tested normal in all fields except gross motor skills (running, jumping, basic strength). They have done her chromosome karyotype three times because her mental development was so "normal". No one can believe she has 18q-. Her social development is that of a thirty-three to thirty-six month-old child. Of course I have always known she was brilliant!

We all have learned a great deal by having Peyton in our lives. She truly is special, not because she has 18q-, but for the person she is because of it. I honestly feel her chromosome abnormality has made all of us better people. We enjoy everyday as a family and look forward to all the challenges yet to come.