A Whale of a Tale

June 2025 Issue
By Mary Hope Roseneau
Photography provided by Jennifer Campbell

A spur of the moment trip to Coligny Beach that a Beaufort mom decided to take on Sunday May 4 was a meetup she will never forget. Jennifer Campbell heard about the beached whale that was there, and just as a whim, thought she would take her 32-year-old daughter Caroline to see it. Pink readers may remember Caroline, a high-functioning adult with Down Syndrome, who was featured in June 2014 (itsallpink.com/featured-women/item/caroline-campbell).

Jennifer only told Caroline they were taking a field trip, and Caroline, always up for a car ride, happily jumped in the car. On the way, Caroline asked, “Where are we going?” Jennifer said, “It’s a surprise!” Carolina guessed Tanger Outlets (her favorite shopping place) and the Heritage Golf Tournament. “No, even better,” Jennifer promised. Little did she know just how much better.

After they parked, and got directions from a lifeguard, they came upon the poor, huge creature. There was tape around the area to keep people back, and they were waiting on veterinarians to arrive from Florida.

Standing near the tape looking at the whale was a young woman, who like Caroline, had the physical characteristics of Down Syndrome. Jennifer and Caroline started a conversation with her, just as the most natural thing they do when they meet other young people looking like them. Her name was Samantha and her sister, Tess, was nearby in a chair. The four gals just hit it off, and Tess said she wanted to get her mother to introduce her to Jennifer.

Samantha’s mom paled as she realized this was THE Jennifer and Caroline. As Tess introduced her mom to Jennifer, the lady said, “I’ve talked to you before! You called me twice, right after your baby (Caroline) was born.” She had given support and counsel over long-distance phone calls in the early days of Caroline’s birth. On the Hilton Head beach, the two women exclaimed, cried, and hugged each other as long-lost friends meeting at last. Caroline, Samantha, and Tess did not know what was going on until the two women finally stopped the tears and explained.

A mutual friend, Debbie Zook Cutro gave Jennifer’s number to Mary, Samantha mother, back in December 1992, after she learned that Carolina, Jennifer’s first baby, was unexpectedly born with Down Syndrome. A healthy 27-year-old, Jennifer had a perfectly normal, low-risk pregnancy, so no genetic prenatal testing had been done. Jennifer even said to her obstetrician, Dr. John Fontana, a Beaufort icon, “It can’t be possible, that doesn’t run in our families!” He was very kind and explained that Down syndrome is not a hereditary disorder. He kept in close touch with her in the first months realizing her difficulties in adjusting to the shock of this diagnosis.

Now, Jennifer declares she wouldn’t change a thing about Caroline’s condition. “With every fiber of my being, I know Caroline is a special blessing from God.

Mary Gordon and her family live in Oswego, NY, and vacation on Hilton Head Island for two weeks each year. She remembered talking to the young mother who lived in Beaufort, and wondered if she could somehow ever find her again. When everyone got rid of their landlines, there was no way to get her cell number, but she always hoped to meet Jennifer and Caroline one day. And 30-plus years later, they serendipitously met on the beach with their grown-up sweet daughters on a Sunday afternoon because of their care and concern for the sick beached whale.

Two days later Mary and Samantha drove to Beaufort to have lunch with Jennifer and Caroline. The following weekend, Jennifer and Caroline visited them at their Hilton Head condo, and it was like best friends getting together normally in the summertime. They have all exchanged cell phone numbers, and now Caroline and Samantha text each other daily. They took lots of pictures, and Caroline bought Samantha a special beach-themed frame to display a picture of her and her new best friend.

Jennifer wanted to share this experience with all moms, but particularly those who have children with Down Syndrome. “A new mom or dad may wonder: Will my baby be ok? Will my baby learn? Will he or she be happy? Will my life ever be normal? Yes, absolutely to all of those! That new baby will bring joy in infinite amounts, reach milestones, and add a dimension to life that is priceless. I feel it is a privilege every second of every day to be Caroline’s mom, and I know Mary feels the same way about Samantha. God does not make mistakes; His divine appointments are always on time.”

Was this just a random reunion on the beach? No, it wasn’t. Jennifer and Mary agree it was a divine appointment that was “God planned,” and at just the right time. Mary summed it up with “You put something out in the universe, and it always comes back to you.” Even better than you could ever imagine!