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.