Ellie is a vibrant, nurturing 17-year-old who is excited to navigate her teenage years. Ellie's vivacious flair is evident in everything she does. She uses her disability as an advantage to help guide her through the normal challenges of her teenage years from an alternative perspective. Ellie is a light. She radiates joy and relishes the everyday ordinary. Ellie asks everyone she meets ‘how are you doing?’, and, actually waits for a response. She is devoid of judgement. We like to say her “super power” is compassion. She can sense sadness and pain in others, and is quick to offer words of encouragement, a touch or a hug. It was not surprising when she wrote her poem, titled, “Friends” which inspired her role as a Maximizer. Ellie thrives with an extra chromosome despite the array of intellectual and physical challenges that accompany her Down syndrome diagnosis. Ellie attends our local elementary school, integrating well in a 4th grade general education classroom. She rides a two wheel bike, plays in the school orchestra, loves play dates, and most everything else her typically developing peers enjoy. She makes everything seem typical, though it is anything but, requiring extraordinary effort and hours of weekly therapies to keep up. Every day Ellie faces challenges which she tackles head on, defying odds and altering perspectives. We are so proud of Ellie. This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!
