Keke Wyatt, singer and mother of 11, has taken to social media to express her concerns regarding her youngest child’s development. She voiced worries that her toddler may be nonverbal, expressing her belief that, given her experience as a “mother of many,” her son, Ke’Zyah Jean Darring, should have started talking by now.
Her 11th child, who will be 2 years old in May, was diagnosed before he was born with a rare genetic disorder, Trisomy 13, also known as Patau syndrome. Trisomy 13 Syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder characterized by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 13 in cells instead of the usual two.
This additional genetic material disrupts typical development, resulting in profound intellectual disability and physical anomalies affecting various parts of the body, according to the Social Security Administration.
The family was informed of the obstacles he could face as a child, including disabilities and birth defects if the family were to carry the child to term. Knowing the risks, Wyatt and her husband, Zackariah David Darring, made the decision to continue the pregnancy.
“My husband & I made the decision not to accept the Medical Specialist’s suggestion to terminate our baby early despite the positive trisomy 13 test results,” Wyatt said in her 2022 announcement of Ke’Zyah’s birth. “We appreciate and thank God for all of the Dr’s in the medical field. However, I can’t stress enough to all mothers & couples, when the Dr gives you life changing information about your unborn child …. pray about it, use faith & follow your spirit before making ANY final decision.”
The chart-topper, most famous for her remake of “My First Love” with Avant,” shared that it “bothers” her that her child may never say anything more than “Mama.”
She to her Instagram Live and shared with her 1.7 million fans, “I am probably getting ready to face the reality that he may be nonverbal.”
“He could say ‘Mom,’ but that’s about it,” she revealed before adding, “Not to say he won’t. I have faith in God … that God will do whatever he wants to do, but … as a mother of many, he would have been talking by now if he was going to be verbal.”
Wyatt confesses that it bothers her that her child will not be able to communicate verbally like her other children. However, she reassured her fans that despite this challenge, her son finds alternative ways to convey his needs, and she has developed an understanding of him through these methods.
Fans of the singer rallied in support to let her know that her faith in God would carry her through.
“He will talk and walk at his timing trust in the lord,” one fan said.
Another person pointed at his nonverbal ways of getting his mother’s attention and expression, saying, “He is grabbing be grateful for that! That is a milestone and shows gods promise that life is precious.”
“Don’t count him out just yet some kids take a little longer to speak than others,” a comment read.
Unfortunately, the comment section was not without some negativity. Some social media users called Wyatt and her husband selfish for proceeding with their pregnancy, knowing that their child would have challenges from his disorder.
“Im sorry, but choosing to have him knowing he would suffer is selfish,” one comment read in part. “He was pre-diagnosed while u were pregnant but u still went through with the pregnancy although u had time to spare him of this.”
There were also comments on social media that were compassionate about her plight, sympathizing with her sadness without judging her.
“I feel so bad for Keke Wyatt. Her baby has Patau syndrome. She was advised by her doctors to terminate but she trusted in God to deliver a healthy baby and now she’s struggling to raise a child who has a disability. Heartbreaking,” an X user tweeted.
I feel so bad for Keke Wyatt. Her baby has Patau syndrome. She was advised by her doctors to terminate but she trusted in God to deliver a healthy baby and now she's struggling to raise a child who has a disability. Heartbreaking.
— RealTalkWithMJ (@ItsMJ254) February 24, 2024
The 41-year-old said in the clip that she promised her fans that she would be transparent about her journey parenting her special-needs child, noting that she has been sharing with the public details about their lives since she was pregnant.
“I’ll just be willing to try to keep you all updated and, you know, in the loop,” she said.
Wyatt has documented much of her Ke’Zyah’s journey on social media. At just 13 weeks old, the infant had already made multiple visits to the pediatric intensive care unit. He remained in and out of the hospital throughout the year. In July 2023, Wyatt revealed she and Ke’Zyah were, once again, on their way to receive medical care after the tot experienced multiple seizures and was turning blue.
“He’s having crazy seizures and turning blue. Is anyone else going through this??? Is this normal for a seizure??? Plz help if u have answers,” she pleaded to her followers on Instagram.
In 2023, Keke Wyatt launched her own reality series with We TV titled “Keke Wyatt’s World,” providing viewers with deeper insight into her life. The show follows Wyatt as she navigates the complexities of raising 11 children, nurturing her relationship with Zackariah Darring, and returning to the music scene after a six-year hiatus.
Wyatt and Darring share two children, Ke’ZYah, born May 2022, and Ke’Riah, born January 2020. Wyatt has nine other children from previous marriages: three with ex-husband Rahmat Morton and four with her ex-husband Michael Ford.
