Charlotte came into this world in May 2009. She was beautiful, happy and calm. The nurses couldn’t get over how easy-going she was. One of them remarked, “Does this baby even cry?”
Her good nature has remained with her today.
She is also:
- empathetic
- super smart
- someone who loves to laugh
- an incredibly talented vocalist
- self-motivated and goal-oriented
- a sweet big sister
This is one of my favorite pictures — my own sister with Charlotte shortly after she was born:
Williams Syndrome Smile 
Do you think God gives special needs kids sweet big sisters or do you think that being a big sister of a special needs child is what makes them sweet? We have a 4 yr old typical little girls and a 2 yr old with ws….such an unbelievably sweet relationship that I didn’t have with my sister!
Searcy,
That’s a great question. We went to the WS Convention in Boston last year, and I was so touched by how wonderful the siblings were. It was beautiful to see them with their brothers and sisters who have WS. It seemed to me that the siblings learned a lot (compassion, maturity, patience) by having a brother or sister with special needs. It will be interesting to see how our kids grow alongside each other!
Vanessa
Speaking as the older sister of a child with WS, I can say my little sister has taught me so much in the years since her extremely late diagnosis. In fact, it is because of her that I will be pursuing as a career as a pediatric geneticist. While WS can be a burden in some aspects, my sister’s diagnosis has done many good things for my family
Sami,
I’m so glad you shared this! I often wonder how having a sister with WS will affect Charlotte. I love that you’re pursuing a career as a pediatric geneticist! That’s wonderful.
Vanessa