Leighton is a spunky girl who loves to sing, dance, swing and play with her siblings and friends. She definitely has an opinion on what she does and does not want to do. Leighton is so social and friendly – she will say hi to everyone at a store, even the mannequins.
She draws a crowd wherever she goes and has a line of buddies wanting to give her hugs when her family is leaving church. She just radiates love! Leighton is always surprising her family with what she can overcome.
She had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) during her mom’s pregnancy, so she was born smaller than her twin sister. She learned to sit at a year and a half, quickly moving to crawling, then cruising on furniture. She is now two and a half and starting to stand on her own and taking a few steps. She is beginning to feed herself with a spoon, get dressed by herself and do puzzles.
Leighton also has three heart conditions, but thankfully she only has an annual checkup for these! She has also had minor eye surgery and ear surgery, after which her family discovered that Leighton is deaf in one ear. The hearing loss has impacted her speech.
While the milestones are super special moments for her family, but it’s the smaller moments that are the sweetest – the way Leighton gives her brother a hug or the way she pats her mom’s back after a hug.
Leighton’s resiliency is inspiring. She has to work extra hard to do things that come easy to everyone else. Leighton has taught her family to be especially kind and patient and to never give up. She’s taught them that love is what matters most even when someone is different.
Her family hopes that Leighton will grow up in a community where she feels loved and accepted for who she is, that her light will always shine bright, and that she will know she is loved.