Meet Cassidy

Introducing Cassidy

“6 years ago, when we had Cassidy, we were not only first-time parents but new parents to a baby with Down syndrome. Doctors painted a bleak picture but the repeated thing we heard was, “people with Down syndrome are happy.” And she is happy. She is easily the happiest person we know. Not only does she have this smile that lights up the room but she has this ability to spread joy to all around her. Her hugs are truly magic. She is a friend to all, and will greet anyone with a bright smile and hi all while enthusiastically waving.

But like her same aged peers, she is the typical 6-year-old. She is fiercely independent, stubborn, SMART, loves Barbies and Frozen, tries to change our minds with a “little bit” when we say no, prefers fruit to vegetables, and loves to dance. Weekly we explore local forest preserves, and she hikes right along beside us, just as she did in the Costa Rica rainforest last summer. This February, she had her first school daddy & daughter dance, where she dressed up and spent the evening dancing with Elsa, her daddy, and friends. So, while she is the stereotyped happy, she is more alike than different.

Cassidy learns at her own pace. Over the years, we have learned that new things take time and no two children are alike. She has taught us patience, be kind and most of all, how to slow down and enjoy life.”

written by Mom, Jessica