Why We Run and Why You Should Too!!

Nearly four years ago, I received a prenatal diagnosis at 22 weeks that my son Cody would have Down syndrome. To say I was devasted was an understatement. I was scared and angry and did not want to be a mom of a child with special needs. I felt like my life was over as the doctor communicated all the things he would not do. It was as if my “perfect” life would never be the same. Like so many of you, I quickly realized that these assumptions about my new life were far from true and that my perceptions of Down syndrome were way off. My life was never the same, but in the best way possible.

Cody is now 3 ½ years old and the most beautiful unexpected gift I could have ever received. I thought he would be the blemish in our family, but he is nothing but the opposite! Cody is the star of our whole family! He is inspiring and loving and puts a smile on everyone’s face. He is smart and driven and achieves and grows just like any other kid, just at his own pace. We know the future is so bright for Cody.

GiGi’s Playhouse gives us SO many great resources to help Cody succeed and has created a community for us to connect with other families with children with Down syndrome. And it has given me a job I feel so blessed to have! GiGi’s is a gift to us in many ways, and we are so excited to create Team Cody for the upcoming Chicagoland GiGi’s Playhouse 5K! We hope to get all our family and friends to be a part of our team so that we can raise as much money as possible for GiGi’s Playhouse and its amazing programs and events. Because all our programs are FREE at GiGi’s Playhouse this is the perfect way for us to play a part in raising funds for this wonderful organization.

Would you consider starting a team honoring your child with Down syndrome in your life?? After you start your team, tell us your story that we can share with others!

To register or donate for the GiGi’s Playhouse 5K, visit our website here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/chicago-region-5k-fun-run

To support Team Cody, click here! https://p2p.onecause.com/gigis5k2019/team/team-cody

Let’s run together and show why our kids are the best gifts we’ve ever received!

-Nancy Binger