couples

How I came to love the daughter I told my wife to abort

Heath White always aimed for perfection. He was a perfect son and student. He played sports. He became a pilot and then an FBI agent, married the perfect girl and began having perfect children.

Their first child was a girl. Then in 2007 Jennifer fell pregnant again. And what she told Heath shocked him to the core.

Their second child was another girl, but she had Down Syndrome.

Just before Paisley's birth in March 2007

Heath demanded his wife abort the baby. A Down Syndrome child just didn't fit into his plans for a perfect life. Jennifer refused. He continued to pressure her but she stood firm.

Their beautiful little girl Paisley was born.

Now Heath admits he was completely and utterly wrong. Paisley is the love of his life and he thanks God every day that his wife didn't have her aborted. Because to him, Paisley is perfect.

The Texas family has given a touching interview to America's ESPN. Heath explains the moment he realised Paisley was the perfect child for him. "The turning point - I had her down and I tickled her and she laughed and giggled at me and tried to push me away. Her laughing and smiling and reacting with me, that's when I realized she's just like any other kid - she's my kid."

They have since added to their family, welcoming a third daughter and Jennifer is pregnant with a fourth. This dad is now surrounded by girls who have him wrapped around their little fingers and Paisley is no less the apple of her daddy's eye than her sisters.

Just before Paisley was born Heath began taking part in competitive races. He wanted to do something special with his new baby daughter. Before her first birthday they raced together - he running and she in her special stroller. They competed for the next five years, winning numerous marathons and shorter races.

'It was just me and her, nothing between us,' he told ESPN.

Heath and Paisley play at the local park
Paisley is now five and entering her own races.
Heath wrote a letter to his second daughter when she was only 18-months-old, as a way of repenting his reluctance to have her but he has no plans to show it to her. "Chances are that she never would have known the way I felt before she was born. That could have been my dirty secret that I kept with me forever."

Do you have a special needs child? We'd love to meet them. Send us a photo of you together at info@themotherish.com and tell us about your bond.
Images courtesy of ESPN