EP206Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day

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We live in a society that believes Down syndrome is something to be prayed away or feel sorry about. A society that questions the value of people with disabilities. Listen in as Heather Avis and Jen Jones describe how people with Down syndrome reflect the goodness of Jesus and what makes them ‘the lucky few!’

Question Highlights

• We just celebrated World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. Heather, what do you want everyone to know about this specific day? How does The Lucky Few educate and support World Down Syndrome Day? 
• Jen, how has World Down Syndrome Day specifically impacted you and your family?
• Heather, why did you start The Lucky Few? And what is it all about? 
• Heather, you recently turned The Lucky Few into a nonprofit organization. Can you explain why and what that looks like? What was the whole dream behind that?
• Jen, how has The Lucky Few impacted you and your family? How has The Lucky Few impacted your daughter, Addie, specifically? 
• Heather, I know your memoir is about finding God’s best in the most unlikely places. What motivated you to write The Lucky Few? What else do you want to tell us about your book? 
• Jen, your daughter, Addie, is a superstar on social media, and she’s so confident. Has she always been like that? 
• Heather, is there anything else you want to say to listeners about donating to The Lucky Few?
• Jen, what would you say to listeners who have a child with Down syndrome? And what would you say to listeners to don’t know someone with Down syndrome?

In this episode, you’ll learn about…

• [2:57] Heather’s realization that people with Down syndrome are the image-bearers of God
• [5:25] How God shifted Jen’s perspective on Down syndrome and taught her that her daughter, Addie, reflects the goodness of Jesus
• [8:11] How Heather built The Lucky Few to create more inclusive spaces and introduce the world to people with Down syndrome
• [13:48] Why Heather stopped ‘hustling to monetize’ to focus on the storytelling aspect of TLF
• [16:13] How TLF connected Jen and her family to the Down syndrome community
• [20:58] How TLF encourages Addie to celebrate being different
• [22:16] The themes of faith, advocacy and embracing differences that emerge in Heather’s books 
• [25:44] What Addie taught Jen about having the confidence to ignore what other people think 
• [30:52] Heather’s plans to capture 300 stories of people with Down syndrome in a 6-week tour of the US 
• [38:41] The importance of connecting with people who are different from you but equally valuable

Show Notes

We live in a society that believes Down syndrome is something to be prayed away or feel sorry about. A society that questions the value and dignity of people with disabilities.

But if we want to know God fully, we’ve got to know God’s people fully. And if we exclude people with Down syndrome, we can’t fully get to the heart of God.

The fact is, people with Down syndrome reflect the light and hope and goodness of Jesus, and it’s our privilege to learn from them. 

Heather Avis is the Founder of The Lucky Few, a Down syndrome advocacy organization and nonprofit dedicated to building a more inclusive world where everyone belongs. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir The Lucky Few: Finding God’s Best in the Most Unlikely Places and host of The Lucky Few Podcast. 

Jen Jones is the Founder and CEO of Jen Jones Direct and Creative Architect at the Significant Conference, a platform designed to help women build a life they love on a foundation of faith. She is also the mom of a daughter with Down syndrome and an advocate for people with disabilities. 

On this episode of The Live Out Loud Show, Heather and Jen join Brooke to discuss the significance of World Down Syndrome Day and share their experiences as the moms of children with disabilities.

Heather explains why she started The Lucky Few, and Jen describes how the organization connects the Down syndrome community and encourages her daughter, Addie, to celebrate being different.

Listen in for Heather and Jen’s insight on creating inclusive spaces and learn how YOU can support TLF in shifting the narrative and shouting the worth of people with Down syndrome!

Connect with Heather Avis

The Lucky Few 

The Lucky Few Foundation

The Lucky Few Podcast 

The Lucky Few on Instagram 

Connect with Jen Jones

Jen Jones Direct 

Significant Conference

Jen on Instagram

Jen’s Significant Life Group

Resources

Jen Jones on The Live Out Loud Show EP074 

World Down Syndrome Day 

The Lucky Few: Finding God’s Best in the Most Unlikely Places by Heather Avis

Different: A Great Thing to Be by Heather Avis

Scoot Over and Make Some Room: Creating a Space Where Everyone Belongs by Heather Avis

Everyone Belongs by Heather Avis

Love Out Loud Foundation