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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cWe heard about GiGi\u2019s Playhouse when we were stationed in El Paso, Texas,\u201d Alden\u2019s mom Kiersten\u00a0recalls. \u201dOf course, there wasn\u2019t a playhouse near us, but we heard about the one in Indianapolis. Having grown up in the area ourselves, we knew we wanted to retire in Indy. We contacted GiGi\u2019s the minute we arrived!\u201d<\/p>\n
A sophomore at Noblesville High School, Alden loves the performing arts. He is in non-impaired classes for theater, 3D art, and the school\u2019s all-male show choir. Alden is also involved with ballroom dancing and theater at GiGi\u2019s Playhouse as well as the Page and Stage Theatre Troop in Noblesville.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s always loved movies and music,\u201d Kiersten says. \u201cHis dad and I are musicians and his older sisters used to make him play dress up. We also did a lot of his speech therapy with puppets. But the best is watching him do impersonations with his dad!\u201d<\/p>\n
Having previously lived in a community with little support for kids with Down syndrome, Kiersten and her husband Joe helped establish a Down Syndrome Association chapter in El Paso. They understand first-hand the importance of a safe place like GiGi\u2019s. \u201cWithout this kind of community, these kids can\u2019t live complete lives,\u201d Kiersten says. \u201cThey want to date. They want to have friends they can hang out with. They want all the same things other kids sometimes take for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
he community GiGi\u2019s creates is also invaluable for the caregivers. \u201cIts life saving for some,\u201d Kiersten admits. \u201cParents with young children don\u2019t know the journey they will be taking. GiGi\u2019s gives them such a nice head start learning from parents who have paved the way, breaking down barriers and making it easier for families who follow.\u201d<\/p>\n
The best advice Kiersten would give to a new family? \u201cTreat your child like everyone else. It may take a child with Down syndrome three years to master a skill that it took your average child six months to master, but they will master it. The worst a parent can do is to feel sorry for them, baby them, or expect less from them. When expectations are high and they\u2019re treated like every other family member, kids with Down syndrome flourish!\u201d<\/p>\n
Alden\u2019s uplifting story and outlook on life are an inspiration, and we are proud to honor him as the 2018 3.21 Mile Run Youth Honoree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Alden Newby 2018 Youth Honoree Alden Newby is a journeyer. Born in Georgia, this 16-year old has lived in six states. The son of a newly retired Army officer, Alden\u2019s family just settled in Noblesville. \u201cWe heard about GiGi\u2019s Playhouse when we were stationed in El Paso, Texas,\u201d Alden\u2019s mom Kiersten\u00a0recalls. \u201dOf course, there wasn\u2019t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127057\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/indianapolis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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