Badges of Motherhood: One Mother's Story about Family, Down syndrome, Hospitals, and Faith

Badges of Motherhood is a powerful and true story told by Evana, a wife and mother of two children. Motherhood is a timeless role that many women will know firsthand, yet each mother has her own unique story to tell. Mothers learn exceptional skills and experience new events and emotions, which are referred to as "badges" in the book. These badges tell the story of the achievements, challenges, and special times between a mom and her child. Evana's motherhood sash is adorned with many badges. In the first chapter, "The Delivery Badge," Evana shares the moment her children came into her life bringing joy and love. As the story unfolds in subsequent chapters, Evana describes how she found out her daughter had Down syndrome, a heart defect, and other diagnoses that brought unexpected realities to their lives. Evana shares how parenting a child through many trips to the emergency room and admissions to the hospital impacted her spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Her descriptive accounts of mothering a child in the Intensive Care Unit will leave you in disbelief and, at times, emotional. There are heart-warming parts of the book too, which will bring a smile to your face. Though your parenting journey may be different from Evana's, this book will challenge you to reflect on your own experience as a mother. As you read the pages of the book, you will discover the badges that represent your own journey through motherhood.