After the former Bachelorette Emily Maynard Johnson gave birth to her sixth child, Emily Maynard Johnson’s daughter, who is now a teenager, offered her mom some support in a very lovely manner.

Maynard Johnson shared with PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that her and husband Tyler Johnson became parents on August 31 to a baby named Jones West. The mother of six found out not long after the birth that her youngest child, Jones, had been born with Down syndrome as well as a rare congenital colon abnormalities that necessitated surgery as well as a 30-day stay in the newborn critical care unit of the hospital (NICU).

Maynard Johnson adds that his daughter Ricki, who is 17 years old, “gave me 47 flowers to signify Jones’ 47 chromosomes” when he was in the hospital taking care of Jones in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). (Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of the 21st chromosome that is present in affected individuals.)

“She prayed for him and over him. She has been my most reliable companion throughout it all “Maynard Johnson included Ricki in his statement.

Ricki is not the only child that Maynard Johnson, age 36, has with Johnson. They also have Jennings, age 7, Gibson, age 6, Gatlin, age 5, and Nola Belle, age 2.

Maynard Johnson describes her first reaction to learning of Jones’ illness as being one of “shock.”

“It did not even cross my mind to consider doing so. And I was absolutely not going to believe that, “She continues. “All I wanted was to be able to do was hug him and make sure everything was going to be okay.”

Maynard Johnson describes the experience of learning that her kid would have to remain in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and wouldn’t be coming home for many weeks as “devastating.” “I was really lamenting everything that had happened, and the fact that the experience was so unlike to what I had anticipated. It broke my heart so badly when I woke up the following morning and heard all of the infants wailing down the corridor while I was in the room by myself.”

Maynard Jones said that he has “simply melted into all of the other insanity” since the arrival of baby Jones at their house.

“He is quite impressive. He is now resting, and all in all, he is the most manageable baby “she comments. “He’s such a cool dude. He is patient and kind with all of my other children.”

Maynard Johnson adds, “I’m still learning about Down syndrome, but I’m trying to also just experience Jones as Jones and not as different than any of the other kids.” “I’m trying to just experience Jones as Jones and not as different than any of the other kids.” “I do not have any anticipations. He is excellent, and I have no doubt that things will go swimmingly.”