Photo: Kerbe Shephard
The Cincinnati Zoo has always held a special place in Kerbe Shephard’s heart — the Ohio native grew up visiting the zoo — but the arrival of her daughter has made the park more important to her than ever before.
Shephard’s first intro to Fiona was from a book her 3-year-old son Bryce checked out of the library when the family lived in Florida. Once Shephard, her husband David, and Bryce moved back to Ohio, they were eager to meet the hippo in person.
Kerbe Shephard
But then, on July 4, when Shephard, her family, and some friends were once again visiting the Cincinnati Zoo, Shephard started experiencing contractions and cramps that “got progressively worse.” She thought the pain could be Braxton-Hicks contractions, but after her discomfort increased, she and her husband decided to leave the zoo and head to the hospital.
Several hours after arriving at the hospital, Shephard went into active labor over a month before her due date.
RELATED VIDEO: Fiona the Hippo Catches Raindrops in Her Mouth at the Cincinnati Zoo
“We also knew at that moment her name couldn’t be anything besides Fiona. It just FIT; it was fate,” she adds.
“Over the next couple of days, we realized just how blessed we were with this girl. It was confirmed that she was born with Trisomy 21, or Down Syndrome. With this can come a plethora of complications, but Fiona has proven to be strong and healthy,” Shephard says. “She does have a congenital heart defect that will be monitored for closure or the need for surgery; but other than that, there are no significant complications. She just needs to be loved a little extra and helped along the way.”
Shephard’s family recently took Fiona to the Cincinnati Zoo to get a little of that extra love from the child’s namesake. On August 15, Fiona the infant met Fiona the hippo.
“Just like the hippo Fiona, our motto is ‘You’ve got this!'” Shephard adds. “We are so in love. We hope this story brings joy to someone and grows awareness for the Down Syndrome population, not as a negative connotation or something to feel ‘sorry’ about…but to realize the potential of these awesome individuals! The sky is the limit for all as long as they are given the opportunity to reach for the stars.”
source: people.com
