Nothing in the world, not even an unexpected diagnosis, can slow down Elijah. Elijah loves dinosaurs, his fish tank, Ms. Rachel, Signing Time, and snuggling with his parents and siblings. This courageous, adventurous toddler leaves a trail of inspired individuals along his journey.
His parents remember how Elijah left the hospital with a smile on his face, but they also left inspired by their son’s strength. Elijah was born with trisomy 21 and spent his first six weeks of life hospitalized for feeding difficulties. In July 2022, Elijah had to have open heart surgery due to transitional AVSD. Complications led to a second open chest repair. After all of this, Elijah left the hospital 30 days later with a smile! Today, Elijah has hearing loss caused by fluid, but the family is eagerly awaiting bilateral tube placements.
“Elijah has turned us into huge advocates not only for the Down syndrome community but for the medically complex and disability communities as well” shares his mom, Laurin. “He has made all of us stronger and more compassionate. He has shown us all that differences make us better.”