Lottie
46, XX, del (16) (p12.2 p13.11) Deletion
Lottie was taken to special care at two days old with feeding difficulties. It was there that a doctor discovered some of her reflexes were abnormal. Her progress was very slow and she reached her milestones very late. We were told that she might never walk or talk. A chromosome test was taken but revealed nothing at this stage. When I was three months pregnant with my son George my doctor suggested my husband Paul and I as well as Lottie have our chromosomes tested. It was then that her abnormality was detected. George was happily born without these problems.
Lottie has grown into a lovely 7-year-old. She is very active and takes Ritalin. She attends a special school and continues to progress well. She shows no signs of physical problems although riding a bike etc. took a long time to learn. She is hyperactive, but a really lovely child. She loves shopping, seeing friends, and going to McDonald's just like any other child her age. Her speech is sometimes difficult for strangers to understand but progresses all the time. I would love to hear from anyone with a child with a similar deletion, especially anyone who has a younger child and is concerned for the future. At 20 months when Lottie couldn't sit and everyone else's kids were running around, her future looked bleak. Now we argue about what clothes to wear. I still get a buzz watching her run around the garden - even though she rarely sits still!