My name is William Declan, but my family calls me Will. Sweet Baby Will to be exact!

I have Down syndrome. 

I was born a couple weeks early on June 12, 2020, weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces, and was 18 ½ inches long. Everyone was so happy to finally meet me!

My mom is 49, and my dad is 51. Yes! I was a surprise. A wonderful surprise!

I have 7 siblings on earth (6 brothers and 1 sister) and 9 in heaven, so yeah, we’re a big family. And I’m so blessed. I mean, really, they never put me down. They fight over who gets to hold me, and they compete for who can get me to smile the most. I keep them on their toes and only smile when there’s no camera around. 

When my mom and dad told my siblings that I had Down syndrome, one of my brothers said he wished he had Down syndrome too, because he knows we have a special relationship with God. My family totally gets me! Down syndrome isn’t something to fear. In fact, it’s something to celebrate. I’m really special, and yes, I came with some extra challenges and unknowns, but I also came with an extra cute factor. 

Seriously, I’m not only cute, but I’m super chill. I sleep a lot, I rarely cry (I’m really tough and even when I’m uncomfortable, I don’t cry), and my favorite thing to do is to snuggle super close, so I’m fun to hold. 

I hope you enjoy this blog. And I hope you learn something about Down syndrome and then share it with the world, because babies like me, who are not yet born, need you to be their advocate. People are so afraid, and we need them to know that if they just give us a chance at life, we will surprise them with a love they never knew was possible. We will bring them immense joy, and the minute they hold us, they’ll understand that it’s all going to be okay. 

- Will