MALCOM, Iowa —

Harrison Dayton loves his food and toys, but his parents remember his time in the NICU all too well.

"We would shake him and be like, 'Come on, take a breath' — just hearing his crying and not being able to hold him the first day," said Wendy Dayton, Harrison's mom.

The 2-and-a-half-year-old was born at 33 weeks and weighed just over three pounds at birth. He was diagnosed with trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome, something that was uncharted territory for his family.

"To be honest, I was devastated," said Wendy, reflecting on the diagnosis. "I didn't know what our lives were going to look like."

The Daytons are no strangers to hospital visits. On Mother’s Day of 2024, Harrison suffered a medical setback that left him intubated for 13 days.

"I felt hopeless," said

See Full Page