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A word from our Founder, Nancy Gianni
Hello GiGi's Change Makers!
This month has been an emotional rollercoaster.
As you may have seen on our social media, recently, a 12-year-old boy with Down syndrome and a member of our GiGi’s Playhouse family was the victim of an assault while on a school bus in the Chicagoland suburbs. He was stabbed by another student with a pencil thirteen times. After almost a month with no resolution for this family from the school administration, GiGi‘s stepped in to give this family a voice. I am proud to say this child and his family are now truly being heard.
As a mom, stories like this hit hard. Really hard.
Why do we have to fight so hard for fair treatment and justice for our kids? I am so grateful for the platform we have at GiGi’s and for a community that shows up. Families shared our post, advocates spoke up, and our community used its collective voice to push for accountability. Because of that collective outcry, conversations are happening, change is happening, and this child and his family are finally being heard.
You’ll read more about the story below, but what stayed with me most was the reminder that our voice matters. When I first started GiGi’s Playhouse, I was a scared mom trying to use my voice to make a difference for my daughter and her friends with Down syndrome. Sometimes, I still feel like that scared mom, but there’s a difference now: I know that I’m not alone. None of us are.
This community is made up of parents, grandparents, siblings, self-advocates, teachers, friends, and people who care deeply and refuse to stay silent. And when those voices come together, people listen! That’s the power of the GiGi’s community, and I’m so grateful to be part of it with all of you!
You are helping create a world where individuals with Down syndrome are seen, valued, and above all else, protected. Please take a moment to read our May newsletter and see the incredible work you’re helping make possible!
XOXO,
Nancy and GiGi
Using our voice for change
Recently, a member of our GiGi’s Playhouse family, a 12-year-old boy with Down syndrome, was injured during an assault on his school bus when another classmate stabbed him 13 times with a pencil. As disturbing as this assault was, what was perhaps most concerning was that the adults on the bus did not intervene or stop the assault.
In the weeks that followed, his family was trying to make sense of what had happened while also struggling to get the school to truly address and listen to their concerns. Eventually, they reached out to GiGi’s Playhouse for support, and when they did, we knew we had to use our platform to create change.
We shared the family’s story on social media, making the conscious decision not to identify the school or any students involved. Our goal was not punishment; it was protection. We were aligned with the family in wanting to ensure their voice was heard and their concerns were taken seriously, without causing harm or speculation.
In the immediate aftermath of the post, something powerful happened: our community responded. Thousands of people commented and shared the post. That outcry caught the attention of school leadership. They have now connected more directly with the family, acknowledged the seriousness of what occurred, and begun to address safety concerns.
Most importantly, the school has actively engaged the family in this process.
At GiGi’s, advocacy is not just about raising awareness. It’s about creating action and ensuring families are never alone when they need support.
To everyone who shared the post, spoke up, and stood beside this family: thank you. Together, you have helped create change.
Bringing GiGi’s into the spaces that matter most
New rooms. New conversations. New impact. Last month, GiGi’s Playhouse expanded our reach by participating in two major conferences in the medical and professional communities.
At the Illinois Annual Conference of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Nancy and GiGi Gianni spoke directly to healthcare professionals on the front lines of birth and diagnosis conversations. GiGi, as the only individual with Down syndrome at the conference, shared a presentation about her life and the value of individuals with Down syndrome, offering medical professionals a perspective that’s rarely shared. The response was powerful, with healthcare providers asking questions, seeking resources, and requesting GiGi’s celebration packets for new families.
But the impactful outreach did not stop there. At the end of the month, members of GiGi’s National Programs Team went to Anaheim to attend the American Occupational Therapy Association. (AOTA) INSPIRE 2026 Annual Conference. With over 8,000 occupational therapy professionals in attendance, this is one of the largest gatherings in the field. As an exhibitor, our Program teams provided valuable educational and outreach materials while connecting with universities, professionals, faculties, and students seeking internships and volunteer hours.
At GiGi’s, we talk about changing perceptions, and opportunities like these conferences are part of how we accomplish that. By reaching medical professionals, educators, and providers, we’re helping build more informed, supportive communities for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
The GiGi’s 5K doesn’t start with a race
...It starts with an invitation.
For many individuals with Down syndrome and their families, so much of life can happen in separate spaces: separate classrooms, separate services, separate expectations of what’s possible.
But the GiGi’s 5K — Dash for Down Syndrome works to change that. Happening at our Playhouses across the country, the GiGi’s 5K brings everyone into the same space — individuals with Down syndrome, families, volunteers, and the entire community — to run, walk, roll, cheer, and foster a more inclusive and accepting world.
That’s why this Dash for Down Syndrome is not just an event to attend. It’s an event to expand. Invite your friends, your neighbors, and your coworkers. Make it something the entire community shows up for... together.
She came looking for support. Now she gives it.
Madisen was 25 when she learned her daughter, Lainey, would likely have Down syndrome during routine prenatal testing at 12 weeks. But the results weren’t explained by a doctor or medical professional. Instead, her sister came across them while reviewing lab work ahead of a gender reveal and called her in shock.
“No doctor called me. They didn’t have anyone call me to tell me the news,” Madisen shared.
In that moment, confusion and fear set in. With little exposure to Down syndrome and no immediate support system to turn to, she and her husband tried to process everything on their own.
What followed was a search for understanding. That search eventually led her to GiGi’s Playhouse Simi Valley.
Madisen first visited prenatally. Immediately, she felt a sense of relief. “I felt so welcome right away,” she said. “It made me excited that Lainey has a place to go to when she’s born and a place to feel supported.”
After Lainey was born in October 2025, that connection became real. Now just six months old, Lainey is already attending GiGiFIT Infant, while Madisen continues to grow within the GiGi’s community. She and Lainey recently attended a VIP luncheon at the Playhouse, where they met Nancy and GiGi.
Madisen now shares her story on social media. Through GiGi’s, she has even connected in person with moms who follow her online and are walking a similar path, and now she’s able to offer them the same reassurance she once needed.
We are so grateful to have Madisen and Lainey as part of the GiGi’s family.
One little three-year-old. One BIG ripple effect.
When Mary’s grandniece, Ellie, was born with Down syndrome in December 2022, Mary knew she wanted to support Ellie and her family in any way she could. But there was one minor problem: Ellie lives in Florida. Mary lives in the Chicago suburbs.
“I couldn’t help directly,” she shared, “but I could help indirectly.”
And that’s exactly what she did. While Ellie and her immediate family began attending free programming like LMNOP and GiGiFIT at our Fort Myers Playhouse, Mary became a volunteer at our National/Hoffman Estates Playhouse.
Over the past two years, Mary has become a dedicated and beloved volunteer, supporting programs like LMNOP, GiGi’s Kitchen, and one-on-one literacy tutoring.
But 3-year-old Ellie’s ripple-effect didn’t stop with Mary. Ellie’s uncle, and Mary’s nephew, Mike, is a Board Member at our Fox Valley Playhouse, expanding the incredible impact the entire family has on our community.
For Mary, that impact is personal. Whether she’s at the National Playhouse or stepping into the Fort Myers Playhouse, as she did when she visited Ellie, she’s always experiencing the joy that our participants provide.
“If you’re having a bad day, go to GiGi’s. Walk through the door,” Mary said. “No matter what you’re going through, you’ll leave with a smile.”
Want to experience that joy for yourself? Explore volunteer opportunities here.
They’re waiting... become a summer tutor
Vacations, ice cream, and... changing lives? At GiGi’s Playhouse, summer isn’t just a chance to have; it’s a chance to make an impact. Tutor applications are now open for the summer session of our FREE One-on-One Literacy and Math Tutoring Program.
These programs help participants build essential skills like reading, comprehension, and problem-solving. Across the GiGi’s Playhouse network, we’re only able to match about 50% of participants with a tutor, but you can change that. By committing to as little as one hour a week, you can make an incredible impact as a tutor. No teaching experience is needed; we provide all the training and support.
With the summer session beginning soon, the application deadline is May 18. Don’t miss it. Apply here.
Nearly 6,400 Hours. Thousands of breakthroughs.
May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, and at GiGi’s Playhouse, we’re celebrating the power of communication... one breakthrough at a time.
In just the first quarter of 2026, our network logged 6,398 hours of free one-on-one speech therapy through the Amina Grace Speech and Language Program.
For individuals with Down syndrome, communication can take extra support, practice, and patience. That’s why programs like Amina Grace matter so much. Through free individualized sessions, participants of all ages are building confidence and communication skills that carry into all aspects of life — at home, at school, at work, and in their communities. And because growth doesn’t stop after childhood, neither does our commitment to supporting every voice.
This month, we’re especially grateful to the speech-language pathologists and volunteers helping make those breakthroughs possible every day!
Did you know that, to date, GiGi’s Playhouse has provided over 138,060 hours of free speech and language support across our network? That’s the equivalent of more than 5,750 days of speech support for the individuals and families we serve!
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