A mother-of-five has given away handmade gift baskets worth £85,000 for parents of children with Down's syndrome after feeling their births aren't celebrated enough.
Sinead Fidgeon, 47, from Cavan, Ireland decided to make 400 "baskets of love" for fellow mums after the birth of her own daughter Grace, four, who has the genetic condition.
Sinead, a trained nurse, wanted to tackle the negative connotations surrounding Down's syndrome, which often sees doctors telling parents their children have the condition in an apologetic way.
Advert
She decided to fundraise in order to help other mums celebrate the birth of a child with Down's syndrome, and makes the baskets with her daughter Grace.
Sinead has made and given away hundreds of the hampers, which are worth around £170 each, and which contain gifts including new baby balloons, toys, pampering gifts for new mums and a book about the condition.
The baskets also come with a note inviting the mums to an online support group for parents of children with Down's syndrome.
Advert
"New mums are often showered with gifts, balloons and congratulations - but this doesn't seem to be the case when it's a baby with Down's syndrome," said Sinead.
"When I was told about Grace's Down's syndrome the doctors called me and said, 'We're really sorry to tell you, but your baby has Down's Syndrome' and from that moment they're already being negative and immediately insinuating it's a bad thing.
"I didn't feel as though there was any support for new mums with children who have Down's syndrome, which is why I started creating the baskets when Grace was a baby. The baskets allow us to connect with one another and actually celebrate the birth of our kids.
Advert
"Our babies should be celebrated when they're born, the same way everyone celebrates every other baby, and the fear needs to be taken out of us as there's nothing to be afraid of.
Some of my closest friends don't even get what it's like to have a baby with Down's syndrome but thanks to Grace she has totally opened their eyes."
Sinead says she hopes the baskets will help mums to feel congratulated in the "same way they would any other baby".
Advert
"Grace was my fifth child and I could see the huge difference compared to my other children - I felt like she was treated as less of a person from the moment we found out," she explained.
"The joy that Grace has brought to our family is indescribable and she's changed us for the better - which is something they don't tell you in the hospital. I'm not trying to sugar coat it, because it can be hard, but we need to get out of the habit of treating the mums and babies differently.
"These mums need to be congratulated they same way they would any other baby."
You can donate to Baskets of Love here.
Featured Image Credit: CatersTopics: Real