Target Is ‘Down’ With Down Syndrome

Target Is ‘Down’ With Down Syndrome: 5 Things Target Said By Saying Nothing At All

If you were browsing through this week’s Target ad you may have passed right over the adorable little boy in the bright orange shirt smiling at you on page 9!  And if so, I’m glad!

The reason I’m glad?  Well, that stylish young man in the orange shirt is Ryan. Ryan just so happened to have been born with Down syndrome, and I’m glad that Target included a model with down syndrome in their typical ad! 

This wasn’t a “Special Clothing For Special People” catalog.  There wasn’t a call out somewhere on the page proudly proclaiming that “Target’s proud to feature a model with Down syndrome in this week’s ad!”  And they didn’t even ask him to model a shirt with the phrase, “We Aren’t All Angels” printed  on the front.

In other words, they didn’t make a big deal out of it.  I like that.

5 Things Target Said By Not Saying Anything

Even though Target didn’t make a big deal out of the fact they used a boy with Down syndrome as a model in their ad, they said plenty.  They said the same things that Nordstrom did when they used Ryan as a model in their catalog this past summer.  I could list a hundred things Target said by running this ad, let me give you 5 that immediately come to mind:

1. They said that people born with Down syndrome deserve to be treated the same as every other other person on this planet.
2. They said that it’s time for organizations to be intentional about seeking creative ways to help promote inclusion, not exclusion.  (It’s no accident that Target used a model with Down syndrome in this ad; it was an intentional and proactive decision.)
3. They said that companies don’t have to call attention to the fact that they choose to beinclusive in order for people to notice their support for people with disabilities.  In fact, by notmaking a big deal out of it they are doing a better job of showing their support for the special needs community.
4. They said it’s important for the world to see people born with disabilities with a fresh set of eyes.  That it’s time for us to lay down all the lame stereotypes of the past and move embrace the future with true and accurate ones
5. They said you don’t have to spend a lot for your kid to dress well! (That shirt is only five bucks!
   )
6. One of the reasons I started this site was to give the world an opportunity to see first hand what it’s like raising a child born with Down syndrome.  I had this crazy idea that if I could give the world a window into the world of a special needs family it would help them see that people like my son are much more typical then they may think.  I believe the story we are telling by posting a daily one minute video of his life is doing just that.
   I’ve never been more excited about the future of individuals born with disabilities.
   The possibilities are endless, and the future looks bright!
   To Target:

   As a father of a son born with a disability I want to sincerely thank you.  I hope that more companies choose to follow the great example that you guys have set.  By choosing to embrace the exciting future and limitless opportunities for people like my son, organizations like yours are leading the way in showing the world that our world isn’t forced to live in the past.

   Thank you Target.  By not saying you said a lot.

   What do you think about companies who understand the importance of including people born with special needs?  When companies do this correctly, like Target and Nordstrom have, does it influence your decision to shop with them more?

Christmas 2011

In attendance: Marsha, Barbara, David, Dawn, Doug, Holly, Ian, Brittany, Trenton, Emma, and Henry.

It was a great day in the Wilson household. Children all over the place with open boxes and wrapping paper everywhere. Family is the most important thing in life, without it's incomplete. Having our families together in one spot is the best. We then head to Rusty's house (my brother in-law) his wife Barbara's cooking is the best. I'm ready to send the wife over for lessons.

B and E opening presents

Nana and H

Tired Boy

E in her gift from Uncle Brian and family 

Christmas cheer 

E covered up in boxes/paper

Hangin out

Type 1 Diabetes

My precious daughter Brittany suffers from this life long illness. Since this doesn't run in our family we had no idea about any of these symptoms. When we finally took her to the doctor her blood sugar level was 1170 (normal is 125) She's been an inspiration to us all, she's never used it as a crutch or excuse for anything. She's gotten involved in awareness and education. Camp Sweeney (www.campsweeney.org) has been a life changing experience for her and our family, she's been selected again for a CIT position this summer. PROUD!

These symptoms may be the first signs of type 1 diabetes, or may occur when the blood sugar is high:

• Being very thirsty

• Feeling hungry

• Feeling tired or fatigued

• Having blurry eyesight

• Losing the feeling or feeling tingling in your feet

• Losing weight without trying

• Urinating more often

Brittany- college application essay (coming soon)

I just requested her permission to post her essay. She said " Dad NO wait until I'm accepted and then you can post it anywhere you want". WOW! where'd the time go.

Infantile Spasms (West Syndrome) - SOLDIER

What are Infantile Spasms?

An infantile spasm (IS) is a specific type of seizure seen in an epilepsy syndrome of infancy and childhood known as West Syndrome. West Syndrome is characterized by infantile spasms, developmental regression, and a specific pattern on electroencephalography (EEG) testing called hypsarrhythmia (chaotic brain waves). The onset of infantile spasms is usually in the first year of life, typically between 4-8 months. The seizures primarily consist of a sudden bending forward of the body with stiffening of the arms and legs; some children arch their backs as they extend their arms and legs. Spasms tend to occur upon awakening or after feeding, and often occur in clusters of up to 100 spasms at a time. Infants may have dozens of clusters and several hundred spasms per day. Infantile spasms usually stop by age five, but may be replaced by other seizure types. Many underlying disorders, such as birth injury, metabolic disorders, and genetic disorders can give rise to spasms, making it important to identify the underlying cause. In some children, no cause can be found.

Emma was diagnosed last year on 12/24/10. The first drug we tried (can't recall the name), she was unresponsive for 2 weeks. Then we started ACTH (a steroid), the results were immediate 6 days into the treatment. She's been seizure free ever since. How blessed and appreciative we are for these results. 

Every time I see children suffering from epilepsy or seizures, my heart goes out to them and their families. It's one of the toughest things I've been through so far in life. Being on the other side, I just want to offer my love and service to anyone that needs it. I have this deep appreciation to all that supported our family through this difficult time. 

A special thanks goes out to Dr. Mendelhoff (Pediatric and Adult congenital Heart surgery) and Dr. Majeed (clinical neurophysiology,pediatrics and pediatric neurology) just for being who they are. 

Here's a few pics showing the progression: 

• starts off with EEG testing
• steriod treatment, side effect is weight gain as you can tell 
• recent haircut, learning and thriving seizure free
• right after successful heart surgery, our little SOLDIER 

Much Respect,

The Wilson Family 

update finally.....

I wish I had the time to update the blog more. Emma and Henry are a handful and blogging doesn't sit very high on my list of priorities. Emma is pulling herself up on just about everything these days. She's learned to sign a few things , mostly around food and wanting more. Henry's a huge 5 month old 19 lbs. Here's a few pics to catch everyone up. Facebook gets the majority of pics due to my lovely wife constantly posting.

Makes you think.....