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Mom shares the 'palpable' joy her daughter with Down Syndrome has over rare party invite

Her squeals of delight have melted so many hearts.

Photo credit: Canva

Heather Avis said she "could count on one hand" the amount of times her daughter Macy had received party invitations.

Macy Avis, a 9th-grader with Down Syndrome, had a reaction to receiving a birthday party invite that was so pure and joyous that it quickly went viral on Instagram.

Heather Avis, Macy’s mom, wrote in the video’s caption that she could “count on one hand the amount of birthday parties” that Macy had been invited to throughout her childhood.

Understandably, when a friend from Macy’s life skills program handed her an invitation, her joy was “palpable.”


“To me it spoke of a longing fulfilled. All I could do was laugh with her and then cry as I celebrated with her,” Avis wrote.

In the video, we hear the proud mom say, “You got invited to a birthday party?” followed by absolute squeals of delight from Macy.

Watch:

Macy and her mom weren’t the only ones feeling celebratory. So many viewers chimed in to share their own joy at the news, and offer some encouragement.

“Thank you for sharing this wonderful moment with us! I got goosebumps listening to the glee in Macy’s voice. I am so incredibly happy for her and can’t wait to hear all about the amazing time she’s bound to have!” one person wrote.

Another declared, “This is the best thing on the whole internet."

The birthday party invite is the result of Avis’s “fight” to find inclusive spaces for her daughter, a journey she noted has “only just begun” in a pinned Instagram post.

Avis explained up until recently how Macy was in general education, where they had experienced some “amazing inclusive classrooms,” but still overall “felt a longing for belonging.” This led Macy to joining a life skills program with other disabled students, where she has been able to nurture a solid community—complete with birthday invitations.

As for how that party went, this follow-up video speaks for itself:

Along with celebrating Macy’s victory, Avis used the moment to note that “the party was inclusive not because a student in the general education program invited Macy, but because a person with an intellectual disability invited both disabled and non-disabled individuals. It was inclusive because people like Macy and the young man we were celebrating, who are often excluded, truly understand how to include others. Let’s reflect on that for a moment!”

While it’s important that students with Down Syndrome are placed in environments with the resources they need, not including them into the general community doesn’t help break through the stigma they regularly face—including being treated as children even when they are adults, or assuming they are entirely dependent. This was an issue recently tackled in the “Assume I Can” ad starring Madison Tevlin.


Moreover, Avis added that prioritizing diversity and inclusion offers the “beautiful gift” of “recognizing our shared humanity” among those who might at first seem different from us. That’s why she continues advocating for both her daughter and the Down Syndrome community through her The Lucky Few Foundation and podcast.

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Joy

People love this barber for his sweet approach to cutting a child with Down syndrome's hair

The kiddo loves the "start and stop" game.

via TheBest1Period/TikTok

Vernon Jackson with his buddy Ellison at the Noble Barber and Beauty salon in Cincinnati, Ohio.

It’s a godsend for parents when they can take their kids who have specific needs somewhere they won’t be judged. Parenting a child with disabilities or neurodivergence is hard enough without dealing with the stares, judgment and misunderstandings that can happen in public places.

Haircuts can be especially stressful for children with sensory issues and their parents.

Vernon Jackson, barber and owner of Noble Barber and Beauty salon in Cincinnati, Ohio, understands these families' unique needs. So he opens up his shop one day a month for what he calls "The Gifted Event,” where he welcomes them for a free haircut.

The most common medical conditions he sees are autism, Down syndrome and spina bifida.

Jackson told Today there are a few things that these children worry about in the barber’s chair. Specifically, many don’t like the sound of the clippers and the feeling of hair falling on their skin. “One child told me it feels like needles,” he told Today.

The barber’s sweet approach while giving a haircut to Ellison, a child with Down syndrome, went viral on TikTok, earning over 3 million views. It’s touching because Ellison is all smiles and loves having some control over the stressful situation by telling Jackson when to “stop” and “start” with the clippers.

The viral video shows what can happen when a barber has the time to focus on the child as an individual and create an atmosphere where they are comfortable.

“Every child is different and I need to be present with them and meet them in the moment,” Jackson told Today. For Julie Eubanks, Ellison’s mother, who took the heartwarming video, being able to have Jackson cut his hair is a huge relief.

"I'm always in the state of anticipating the worst because you never know with these types of situations with Ellison, or with any kid with special needs, they can turn with a blink of the eye," Eubanks told WLWT. "I was trying to enjoy it and record and peaking my head out of the side of my phone to be like, 'Is this really going on?'"

The commenters on TikTok thought the video was adorable.

"Thank you for having such a kind soul with these precious children that just need a little extra attention in a different way! This is awesome," Jackie Griggs wrote. "Hard to tell who had more fun here. This is great!" Carrie Deal added.

Jackson has set up a GoFundMe where people can donate free haircuts to children with disabilities and he’s received over $17,000 in donations.

“As a barber, I saw the need for a place where children with disabilities are supported during a haircut and an environment where parents or caregivers don't have to explain their child's behavior or apologize for something they may do or say,” Jackson wrote on the GoFundMe page.

It’s incredible that Jackson sets aside time every month so that his business can focus on those who need a little extra love and attention. It’s a beautiful gift to these children and their parents and a wonderful example to share with the rest of the business community.

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Wellness

World's first Ironman with Down syndrome attributes success to his simple '1% better' philosophy

via Chris Nikic/Intagram

Chris Nikic wins the Panama City Ironman

The great Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu is known for saying, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." It's a simple but powerful way of approaching goals by seeing them as a series of simple actions, rather than a massive undertaking.

Chris Nikic, 22, has a similar life philosophy that he says helped him become the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman. An Ironman is an incredible feat of endurance where athletes must complete a 2.4-mile swim in open water, a 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon of 26.2 miles, in 17 hours or less.

In November 2020, Chris completed his first Ironman at Panama City Beach, Florida.

Chris attributes his success by trying 1% more every day. That could mean an extra push up, a few more seconds on the treadmill or one more sit up. "It represents me better than I was yesterday," Chris told News 6.

Chris' father, Nik Nikic, says the philosophy is a way for people to achieve great things without overdoing it and injuring themselves. It also prevents people from biting off more than they can chew and giving up.



"1% is pretty powerful," Nik told Today. "Our hope is that people can take it and apply it in their life. It's a really simple way to get them started on that journey to achieving their potential."

Nik has seen these small incremental changes result in big improvements in Chris' performance.

"He always does a little bit more or a little bit faster each time," Nik said. "It requires a lot of patience to do the 1% … This is designed to be easy and long-term sustainable."

Chris also follows three rules to create lifelong habits. Rule No. 1 is have fun. Rule No. 2 is "there can't be any residual pain." Rule No. 3 is "always just one more."


The 1% philosophy can be applied to a lot more than running a marathon. Imagine if you got 1% better at any skill. After 100 days, you'd be 100% better than when you started. The philosophy can apply to anything from learning a musical instrument to improving your parenting skills.

Eating 1% better every day could completely transform your body in just a few months.

All you have to do is create a plan and stick to it.

Chris and Nik have outlined their philosophy in a new book "1% Better: Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too." The book explains how Chris implements the philosophy to achieve his goals such as completing the Ironman or the Boston Marathon.

Nik believes that Chris' achievements are about a lot more than just meeting his personal goals. They give people with Down syndrome a road map for independence.

"The message that we wanna send is: It takes us as parents to be willing to trust to have our kids really be included in the rest of the world," Nik said. "When other people start doing for you, you're not gonna get the benefits of life. You're always gonna be counting on someone else. So our kids need to do more for themselves."

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Two film producers made a rollerblading dancer's dream come true, and it's so dang wholesome

Lisa Cornish Kotter/Facebook

Parking lot dancer Reid Cornish is not your average performer.

Each weekday, Cornish dons his rollerblades and headphones, heads to his parking lot of choice, and puts on a show for everyone within eyeshot. As a person with Down syndrome, Cornish may be underestimated or overlooked by many, but his awesome performances have endeared him to countless Salt Lake City citizens.

His mother told Deseret News that his mission in life is to make people happy, and he does so with his joyful dance moves and contagious grin. Sometimes he spends hours dancing on his rollerblades, which he says keeps him limber. "Skating makes me happy all the time," he told the paper.

Cornish's sister Lisa recently shared a story about him on Facebook that has been shared 30,000 times and is just about the most wholesome thing ever:

"Some professional film producers befriended my brother Reid this year and have been a big boost to him, especially after our mother's passing in June. They learned that his dream is to perform in front of others, so for Christmas they made this video montage of his rollerblading shows in Salt Lake. What a generous gift! I can only imagine the time and love that went into this. (Thank you!) I hope you all enjoy this lively, 5-minute glimpse into my little brother's dreams."

If you need a pick me up today, this video will do it.

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