We are honored to share this beautiful message written by Cari for her daughter, Gracie. 💛 Her words are a gift to all of us—reminding us that Down syndrome is nothing to fear, but something to embrace with love and understanding.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.

Jeremiah 1:5

He knew you were everything that we needed in every way possible long before we met. You, my darling girl, are pure magic. From the moment you arrived, you changed the shape of my heart. You filled the quiet spaces with laughter, and turned the ordinary to extraordinary.

There isn't a day that goes by that I am not in awe of you. You exude this contagious joy in everything that you do. You, are unbridled happiness. You are fierce. You are sassy. You are wild in the most wonderful way. Your beauty and your wonder are endless. Your resilience, your strength, and your determination are inspiring to all who have the privilege of knowing you. You brought a type of love into my heart that I didn't know existed.

In 3 short years, you have already taught me so much about love, about patience, and about what truly matters in life. Even on the hardest days you remind me to smile, to hope, to be grateful, and to lean into my faith and believe in miracles.

I am so honored to be your Mama and to have a front row seat to witness the impact that your beautiful heart is going to make on so many.

Gracie Joy, I promise to always be here to cheer you on, to hold your hand when you need it, and stand back proudly as you take on the world with love in the shape of you, your very own Gracie way. Love Mama"

Gracelyn Joy Sammon