Francie Todd joins Crystal and Ellen to tell her family’s powerful story following the diagnosis of down syndrome for one of her sons. Fancie has fraternal twins, one typical and one with down syndrome. She is on the show this week to share her journey with IVF, duodenal atresia with baby A, and the struggles she and her family faced following delivery. 

In this episode you will hear:

• What it was like to have a baby in the NICU at the start of the pandemic.
• How to transition to home with a newborn while having one baby still at the hospital. 
• What life was like in the early days and how Francie and her husband got through it.
• Emergency surgery and the threat of a hysterectomy. 

Francie also talks about a very vulnerable moment and a turning point for her and Hall. She found a determination to get through whatever life threw at her—finding a new normal and finding the beauty in the journey. This is an episode you won’t want to miss. Truly an incredible story and we are honored Francie came on the show to share it!

About Francie Todd:

I am a wife, mom, and CRNA. My family lives in Greenville, SC. I have fraternal twin boys, Hall and Barrett. Hall was diagnosed with Down Syndrome shortly after birth, while Barrett is typical. The boys are now 16 months old and quite busy. Although our journey is different than what we imagined it would look like, it has been an amazing journey.

Resources mentioned in this show:

Bloom by Kelle Hampton

Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents’ Guide by Susan Skallerup

A Parent’s Guide to Down Syndrome by Jen Jacob and Mardra Sikora 

IG: fmtodd

KIND (Kids Including & Nurturing Differences) - “Hoping we can make a difference in a few kids and letting them know that differences are ok” Francie Todd on her nonprofit KIND. 

http://kindoftheupstate.org/ 

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