Being different means being unique, and Julie and Dan McConnel know how to accept and value uniqueness in a way that wins hearts all over the world. When they found out they were going to be parents again, they couldn’t have been happier. They couldn’t wait to hold their bundle of joy in their hands. But God is great, and he gave these two wonderful people two reasons to love life: they were about to have twin boys.
He also gave them two sweet little angels with an extra chromosome. This made Milo and Charlie even more special, since it is said that fraternal twins with Down syndrome only happen once in 14 million births.
Julie and Dan knew that having kids with this condition could be hard, so they thought about putting them up for adoption, especially since they already had four kids. But now that they’ve seen how much the boys have grown, they’re glad they went on the trip, which has turned out to be the sweetest and most colorful adventure. People all over the country love their boys, and not just their family. They are an internet sensation.
These parents were well aware of how people with Down Syndrome are looked down upon. But the truth is that these people only have similar faces. Their personalities and character traits are very different. And Charlie and Milo’s parents were determined to let everyone know that. What do they do? Using social media. And they do a great job of it.
“I want to reach out to families whose children have been told they have Down syndrome, because that can be very scary. Julie told WTSP 10 News, “I hope that people will find us and see that this is how life can be.”
“It can be fun, there’s lots of love in it, and it’s not scary. We don’t have any regrets, and our lives are full of happiness. I hope people will see that.”
The McConnels are doing their best to teach other parents of children with Down’s about the challenges they may face and how to deal with them in the best way possible.
“It takes them a little longer to reach milestones, but when they do, we celebrate like no other parents on earth,” she said. “When they do those things, we throw a party and are so happy for them.”
Dan said, “It’s important to show everyone that we are here and that there are a lot of kids in our community. We hope that they will see us and remember us, and that things will continue to change in our communities with lots of acceptance.”
“We’re standing on the shoulders of other parents who made all of this possible,” Julie said. “It’s an exciting time to have a child with Down syndrome.” “I want them to get older and do whatever they want.”
We do hope that these wonderful parents are able to raise awareness about children with Down’s so that people finally realize that they are just like any other child when it comes to making their families happy.
So don’t worry about the stares and don’t ever apologize to a parent whose child has this syndrome, because there’s nothing to apologize for.
The story of these parents may change the minds of other parents-to-be who are thinking about putting their babies with Down’s up for adoption.