Little Molly’s Down Syndrome journey helps others

One look at little Molly Johnson instantly brings a smile to your face, and it’s for that very reason that local mother Rhona Cullinan started a Facebook page to document the positive journey her five-month-old daughter is embarking on.

Molly was born with Down Syndrome, and although the pregnancy was not a time Rhona enjoyed fully because of a level of uncertainty, she is now determined to share with the world her beautiful daughter and her amazing aura of positivity.

Speaking with Echo.ie, Rhona, who is originally from Kimmage, said: “My worse regret is definitely that I didn’t enjoy the pregnancy, but once I began reading other blogs from other parents in a similar position my thinking changed.”

She continued: “When I look at Molly I feel so lucky – she is so good – we have a kind of bond that is just so special and loving.

“People just fall in love with her when they see her, and because of that positivity I wanted to start the page for her to look back on when she is older.

“It has become a community within itself, people really want to see what she is doing every day, and the Down Syndrome community in Ireland in general is amazing, with so much love and support from people.”

As is the case with some babies born with Down Syndrome, Molly has some problems with her heart, and she will undergo open heart surgery next week in Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

Despite this, however, the message remains positive, with Molly’s journey helping to raise awareness around Down Syndrome.

In a beautifully written open letter by Rhona, posted on the page when Molly was 16 weeks old, the doting mother said: “What we didn’t really understand was she’s a perfectly normal little girl, she just has an intellectual disability, that’s all.

“She will have the same feelings, ambitions, she will laugh and smile (more than most typical kids), she will go to normal school, she’ll get a job, hopefully have a boyfriend, even get married, but she will just do what every other kid does but at her own pace.

“She gets to be our little girl but just for a bit longer.” 

In the future Molly looks set to be a star on front of the camera too, with the little cutie already lined up by some brands to feature in advertising campaigns.

You can follow Molly’s story on Facebook HERE.