is continual, measurable, celebrated and it never ends. It is a daily challenge to do a little better than you did the day before and it\u2019s always celebrated. Possible manifestations: standing just one second longer, reading just one more word, learning just one new number, taking just one more step, never a competition, never completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having a child with special needs doesn\u2019t come with a road map, and every journey is unique. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you have to go through it alone. That\u2019s why we are excited to highlight Benjamin as our “Best of All” for September. His journey is unique as he doesn\u2019t have Down syndrome, but he has become an essential part of the GiGi\u2019s Playhouse community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Young](\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/twincities\/files\/2024\/09\/Ben8.jpg\")
<\/figure>Benjamin and his family first connected with GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Twin Cities in 2018 when Benjamin was just 3 years old. Since then, it has been a perfect match. \u201cGiGi\u2019s has been a lifeline for us,\u201d said his mother, Maura. \u201cIt\u2019s a place where I\u2019ve met some of my best friends, a place where I\u2019ve connected with other parents who are walking this path with us. It\u2019s a space where we\u2019ve always felt welcomed and free to be exactly who we are. We\u2019ve been absolutely grateful to have found GiGi\u2019s. From tutoring and sign language classes as a toddler and preschooler to Special Olympics classes and teams, Kid\u2019s Club, and Cooking, we love everything we\u2019ve been part of. Benjamin doesn\u2019t have Down syndrome; he has a brain injury from meningitis as an infant, and I felt completely alone until I found my people at GiGi\u2019s Playhouse. We can\u2019t imagine life without it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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When Benjamin first started coming to GiGi\u2019s, he couldn\u2019t speak, but that didn\u2019t stop him from communicating what the Playhouse meant to him. \u201cOne of my favorite memories of GiGi\u2019s was when Benjamin was three and couldn\u2019t speak yet. He created his own sign for GiGi\u2019s. It took me a couple of days to figure out why he chose that sign, but I realized it was the sign for \u2018friends.\u2019 It made me cry. I think it was one of the first places we truly felt like we belonged,\u201d Maura shared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benjamin has a few favorite things about GiGi\u2019s, but what excites him most is seeing familiar faces. \u201cHis absolute favorite thing about GiGi\u2019s is seeing people he knows. He loves seeing friends, staff, and the parents of friends. He leaps out of the car and races ahead of me to check out the scene,\u201d Maura added. Another fun activity Benjamin enjoys is playing DJ\u2014choosing the music at GiGi\u2019s\u2014and rushing outside to catch the sound of passing trains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re lucky enough to be at the Playhouse when Benjamin is there, you\u2019ll quickly be greeted by him. He\u2019s great at introducing himself and making sure everyone knows that GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Twin Cities is a welcoming and inclusive space. He\u2019s also known for celebrating everyone\u2019s accomplishments\u2014Benjamin loves to clap when a fellow participant achieves something or when he does himself. No one ever feels unwelcome when Benjamin\u2019s around. <\/p>\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/twincities\/files\/2024\/09\/Benjamin3-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nToday, we want to celebrate Benjamin\u2019s hard work and accomplishments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the kitchen at GiGi Kitchen Kids, he\u2019s been trying new foods, even when it\u2019s difficult for him. At Kids Club, he\u2019s been practicing patience, even when he is excited. Volunteers have noticed him working on waiting until his friends are done speaking before chiming in. He\u2019s also been helping gather participants to play with the parachute, ensuring no one feels left out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re thrilled to see Benjamin\u2019s hard work paying off and look forward to celebrating all the progress he\u2019ll continue to make. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Benjamin can now speak and proudly say \u201cGiGi\u2019s,\u201d but we know that, just like when he was younger, it will always be a place he associates for friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help us provide free programs that are educational and therapeutic in nature to individuals with Down syndrome from birth through adulthood, their families and the community donate HERE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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