Mum plans to give up Down Syndrome twins for adoption - but changes her mind at the last minute!

When mother of six Julie McConnel discovered she was pregnant with twins who had Down Syndrome she initially considered putting them up for adoption.

However, the 45-year-old had a change of heart and decided to keep her babies, who she jokingly calls the “Goofball Brothers”.

When she fell pregnant Julie knew that there was a good chance she could have multiples or a child with Down Syndrome, however did not expect both to happen.

The mum of six felt that the strain of raising two children with special needs might be too much. So, she and her husband Dan found a family who wanted to adopt the twins, through the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network.

However, when they met other families with Down Syndrome children at a local association, and heard their stories, they realized they were letting fear stand in the way and said they would love their children no matter what.

'You can have expectations of how life is going to be, but it might not pan out the way you imagined,” Julie said.

“Now that I have Charlie and Milo, I understand that and I have more compassion than I ever had before.

“They're not the result of a bad lifestyle choice I made, or a reflection of race or economics or where you live in the world and I hope that by sharing our story I can open people's eyes a bit.

“I want people to see that there are people out there who are different, but it doesn't make them any less valuable.

“They're just the way they're supposed to be.”