The Seymour Family has been selected as the Christopher Smith Foundation’s September Caregivers of the Month.


They moved to Las Vegas 11 years ago and have a 23-month old daughter with Down syndrome, Aubree.

Dear Linda, my wife and I have lived in Las Vegas for 11 years and have a 15-month-old daughter with Down Syndrome. I am halfway through your book “Unwanted – How a Mother Learned to Turn Shame, Grief and Fear Into Passion and Empowerment” and love it.

It is amazing how many people love our Aubree! Her impact during covid has saved many lives including our own. You book makes we want to have another baby.  How different thing are now than in the 1970’s. It is remarkable the things you have done and what you have accomplished.  The
work you have done has made a huge impact on the life our Aubree will have. 

Aubree was born with several heath issues and was at the NICU at Sunrise hospital for about 17 days. She had a full AVSD heart defect and an imperforated anus. She had her first surgery at day 1 (October 31, 2020) for an ostomy, open heart surgery at about 4.5-month-old, and two other surgeries related to
her medical issues.

We knew about Aubree during our pregnancy and were asked if we wanted to terminate.  That was a hard decision. I questioned the decision several times during her first year of life as we watched her in the hospital.  Now I look at her and wonder how we lived without her.  What it all came down to was
this…. if I knew I was going to enter this life and knew I was going to have heath issues and the challenges that come with Down syndrome, would I want to?  I know I would want the chance at life and knew that the decision for Aubree was not mine.  If she wanted to have a chance at life, she would have
to fight for it and that is what she has done.  She is just over 15 months old now. Even changing her diaper is a task.  Sometimes I think I am wrestling a baby alligator.  

Our support group has been amazing.  We have done a few activities with different organizations and are heartened at the support we have received.  I do have to tell you a couple of the significant stories as the support has been so amazing. I will keep them brief but want to share. 

The partners at our small CPA firm changed our whole office’s health insurance to help with the financial burden. I am an Audit Manager, and my wife is a bookkeeper.   The firm policy is they pay for our health insurance 100% but we have to pay for our dependents insurance.  My wife no longer works full time,
and I should be paying for both my wife Desire’s insurance as well an Aubree’s.  I asked my boss about it, and he said it was something he wanted to do for us. 

Aubree has many grandmas.  At 15 months she already has money in the bank and rarely has to wear the same clothes twice.  I told my mom she is spoiled.  She said she is “loved”.  

When Aubree was going to have open heart surgery my boss was telling one of our local community leaders family about it. During dinner with another respected community leader, the offer was willingly made to pay for our surgery if it wasn’t covered by insurance.  We didn’t need the help, but it still was
an amazing gesture.

Sorry this was so long.  I just wanted to share our story.  I was looking at some pictures of Christopher online.  He was an amazing handsome guy!

Thank you,
Jeremy