Perhaps competitive spirit, the will to overcome and do what the experts say cannot be done, is a genetic trait. I have no ability to prove that, but I can tell you about Cade Tonkery.

 

If the last name sounds familiar, there is a good reason for it. Cade Tonkery is the youngest of two children by 2010 Bridgeport High School graduates Wes Tonkery and his wife Chelsea, the former Chelsea Eades.

 

They have that competitive spirit and will to fight. They both had it earning Class AAA runners-up in football and cheerleading for the Indians. They both carried it to Division I athletics at West Virginia University in those same sports.

 

Genetically, I am betting Cade Tonkery inherited that from mom and dad. You will see why here very soon.

 

This past Sunday was a big day for Cade Tonkery. It was not his birthday. It was not a day for baptism or the arrival of a new tooth.

 

Sunday, March 14 was World Down Syndrome Day. Little Cade is a Down Syndrome child. While that’s part of what this blog is about, it is more about a little boy who has already beaten the world.

 

Along the way, he has managed to produce a whole lot of smiles for his parents and big sister Marlie along the way. The miracle of that is that, according to the medical field, none of that was supposed to happen. Instead, the worst was supposed to happen.

 

Chelsea and Wes Tonkery were told more than once Cade would not survive. They were told if he were born alive, he would not be breathing. Chelsea knows she and Wes were told what the diagnosis pointed to – even if it turned out to be wrong.

 

Cade Tonkery was born very much alive. He was born breathing. He was born crying. He was born, as Chelsea so happily says, as a miracle.

 

Still, the Tonkery family knew getting to a miracle was not going to be easy. Around 27 weeks into her pregnancy, Chelsea developed hydrops, which is a condition of abnormal amounts of fluid – in this case acid – filled around the stomach and liver.

 

“With hydrops, we were told the fluid buildup gets worse, and the process doesn’t get better,” she said. “The worst part was to learn only 20 percent of pregnancies with hydrops end with a child being born and if you got that far only half survive.”

 

Two weeks later, at 29 weeks, Chelsea Tonkery was admitted to the hospital as the fluid situation was bad. An ultrasound was performed because Cade was not moving much.

 

“Multiple doctors told us if Cade was born that day, he wouldn’t make it. They kept reiterating they would try and do what they could, but they were being straight with us letting us know the prognosis was not good,” she said as plans for an emergency c-section were set in motion.

 

As the Tonkery’s were trying to process the news, the emergency surgery was halted. Suddenly, inside her womb, Cade had hiccups. He began to move around.

 

“They kept me overnight to monitor me and then they sent me home. Then the miracle started happening,” Chelsea said. “The high drop fluid buildup was going down. The doctors were shocked because it almost always gets worse, not better.”

 

For the next few weeks, the fluid went down. There was optimism again, until week 35 and day five of the pregnancy arrived.

 

Although there were still fluid issues, the real issue was lack of movement from Cade. The extra weeks allowed for the doctors to feel more comfortable about a C-section, which is what took place. Again, Chelsea and Wes Tonkery were told to expect their child to come out with no crying and not breathing.

 

They prepared for the worst. The hoped for a miracle.

 

“He came out breathing and crying,” said Chelsea, who along with Wes are 2014 West Virginia University graduates. “He shocked every doctor, and I think they were thrilled to be shocked. I know I was shocked and looked at Wes and said, ‘wait a minute, he’s crying.’ It was a wonderful sound.”

 

At the time of birth, neither Chelsea nor Wes knew their child had Down Syndrome. They did know it was possible.

 

“We had a speculation that it was possible based on the findings on the ultrasound and a blood test that led to it. They didn’t have the test to find out for sure,” said Chelsea. “What we did know for sure is we knew if we got our baby boy, we would love him no matter what. It was a few days after he was born that we found out.”

 

And what did that do?

 

“It didn’t change a thing,” she said.

 

It did change things for Cade’s big sister Marlie. Marlie had new responsibilities.

 

“She loves him. She’s like a little mom with him,” said Chelsea.

 

What is not to love? Besides, all he has done since he has been on this earth is make his family and all who come into contact with him happy.

 

“He’s been amazing. He’s hitting all his milestones and he’s healthy. Every mom in general worries about health issues with their babies but add to it what we knew before he was born and you were 1,000 times more worried,” said Chelsea. “To see him in such good health is another blessing.”

 

That does not mean things are easy. What it does mean is the Tonkery family know their miracle Cade is worth any challenge that may come their way.

 

“At first it’s scary because of the unknown. A special needs child, like all children, you take things day by day, it’s just different,” said Chelsea. “It’s not a bad different, just different. What isn’t different is that you love the child, and the child loves you back. He’s the happiest baby ever, and I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”

 

Chelsea said dad Wes would not either. She called him a “great dad” who loves playing with both of their children. And he is particularly fond of tossing the kids in the air with some of his old football strength.

 

“He just throws them in the air and does everything to help with the kids and help in the house,” she said. “From what we were expecting because of what we were told, we know we’ve got a good thing. Based on everything we were told, this wasn’t supposed to happen, but for some reason it did and we’re so thankful.”

 

Did that competitive spirit and fighting attitude play a role?

 

“It definitely could be a reason for how things turned out. The little boy could definitely grow up to be a competitor. He already has the ability to make any bad day better,” said Chelsea.

 

The sky appears to be the limit for Cade Tonkery. And the Tonkery family does not have to be reminded of it on March 21 every year.

 

“We celebrate our child with Down Syndrome every day,” said Chelsea.

 

Here is hoping to many decades of celebration with Cade. After all, celebrating miracles are what we are supposed to do.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Wes and Chelsea Tonkery with Marlie and Cade, while Cade is shown hamming it up in the second photo and with big sister Marlie in the bottom photo. Pictures courtesy of Chelsea Tonkery.