stems from personal experience. Hanson, a mother of five, was inspired by her daughter, Mara , who was born with Down syndrome and a heart defect. Hanson shares that Mara developed heart failure sooner than expected. As the doctors were gearing up for open-heart surgery on the then 3-month-old, Hanson stumbled across something life-changing. “I was scrolling through TikTok at three in the morning, and I came across this baby spa in Chicago and infant massage and its benefits,” she explained.
The mother discovered infant massages aid in muscle tone, whereas babies with Down syndrome tend to have low muscle tone.
“As I was looking into it, I noticed no one else in Sioux Falls taught it,” said Hanson.
Amazed by the benefits it brought to Mara, Hanson knew she had to bring this practice to South Dakota. Aragon, seeing her sister’s challenges, was motivated to learn more about infant care. written by gabby sudenga + photos by cailyn patterson
THE FAMILY ISSUE april 2024
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