Me and B have been married for 10 years. He stole my teenage heart in Lake Powell when the first words he spoke to me were, “Hey. You want a drink of my Dr. Pepper?” We were married 3 years later. After several years of marriage & adventure we decided it was time to start our family. It took 5 years, 7 doctors, countless tests/treatments/therapies, 2 miscarriages, and 2 rounds of in-vitro to get our baby girl, Indy Llew. When she was born our world was rocked with a surprise diagnosis of Down Syndrome. We were terrified of what that meant for us and our dreams for the future, but Indy has shown us that her life is not something to be feared.
[You can read our birth story HERE].
Indy’s life has brought us so much joy. It has shaped us, enriched us, and called us to a higher purpose in living. We have had our share of challenges [what parent doesn’t] but our dreams have marched on. Down syndrome does not define Indy and will not define us. My hope is that you see that here. We live a really happy life, and Indy is the center of that happiness.
I am a Nurse Practitioner with a focus in functional & integrated medicine. Prior to that I worked as a nurse in the emergency department for 8 years, specializing in pediatric care. Working in medicine for 14 years has given me an opportunity to really fine tune my practice & discover how I can best heal, and how I want to help others heal. Although I am currently a full time mommy to Indy, I never stop learning and researching ways to keep my family healthy and helping those around me find true health. I firmly believe that our bodies are capable of healing from anything when given the correct tools [as long as God has the same plan 😉]. Health in our home comes from a plant based diet with lots of fruits, veggies, herbs & wild foods, high quality supplements, and a clean/green living environment. As my friend Liz puts it, I am “an ambassador for health”. It is my greatest passion! love to share health with everyone around me. Every Tuesday I share a clean living or nutritional health tip on my Instagram and Facebook pages [#healthyturtletuesday] and you will find many health topics written about here on my blog.
PS- My nickname is Turtle 🐢.
In January of 2018 Indy Llew was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of cancer that affects the cells of the bone marrow very similar to leukemia. This is something she was born with & unfortunately, is a disease that can be present with Down syndrome. This diagnosis was another sharp left off the path we had designed for ourselves. We are in the thick of the battle, and we are working hard to achieve healing using both conventional and alternative methods. We look forward to sharing our new journey with its many highs & lows. We have faith in complete healing for our baby girl-She is a fighter, she is a warrior.
Indy has become such a shining light of hope not only in our lives, but in the lives of thousands from around the world. We are humbled by her reach and her influence. Her existance is a miracle. She radiates Love & goodness. She is incredible in every way and we feel extremely blessed to be her parents.
I am grateful for the opportunity to share our life & experience with the world. If you are reading this, thank you for being here. We hope you find joy in our journey 💗.
So much love,
Terah, B, & Indy Llew