Heaven's Very Special Child

By: Edna Massimilla

A meeting was held quite far from earth
"Its time again for another birth."
Said the Angels to the Lord above,
"This special child will need much love.

Her progress may seem very slow
Accomplishments she may not show
And she'll require extra care
From folks she meets way down there.

She may not run or laugh or play
Her thoughts may seem quite far away
In many ways she won't adapt
And she'll be known as handicapped.

So let's be careful where she's sent
We want her life to be content.
Please Lord, find parents who
Will do a special job for you.

They will not realize right away
The leading role they're asked to play.
But with this child sent from above
Comes a stronger faith and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given
In caring for their gift from heaven.
Their precious charge so meek and mild
Is heaven's very special child.


Diona's older sister, Angelina found this poem and was so touched by it, that she created a large painting featuring the poem and Diona's image, titled "Heaven's Child". Angie won First Prize in her school Art Show for her creation and we proudly hung it above the mantel in our living room.

The most blessed father in the world!

Hello! My name is Mitch and I have the honor and incredible blessing of being the father of a wonderful and delightful daughter, named Diona (DEE-ona). Her name is from the Greek language and it means " daughter of heaven and earth".

At the time she was named by her mother, Tehom (Teh-HOME), we were unaware that Diona was born with Down Syndrome. She was about four months old when her condition was diagnosed, along with a heart murmur (a very small VSD*).

Like most parents upon discovering that our child has Down Syndrome, we were overwhelmed by questions, fears, anger, sorrow and doubts. Today, we thank God for making Diona exactly as she is! Over these eight years, most of the fears and doubts have disappeared and many of the questions have been answered, as we've watched Diona blossom. She is a precious part of our family.

I promise that you would be hard-pressed to find parents anywhere on this earth that are more loved by a child, than we are by Diona. Not that we are worthy of such love - Its just that Diona loves that way. I pray that God would make me into the man that Diona believes I am.


I'm posting this blog to share the joy that our family has found in Diona's presence and to encourage other parents of children with special needs - especially those with Down Syndrome.

* Ventricular Septal Defect: A small defect (hole) in the wall (septum) that divides the two lower chambers (ventricles) of her heart. This allows a small percentage of un-oxygenated blood to dilute the oxygenated blood that her heart is pumping through her body. No corrective measures have been deemed necessary by Diona's cardiologist, who she sees periodically.