The Lucky Few

Today on the show we have two talented self-advocates and the stars of the movie Champions! Madison Tevlin and Matthew Von Der Ahe join us to chat about the audition process, working with Woody Harrelson, some behind the scenes secrets, and so much more! They tell us about their characters' sassy and hilarious attitudes and warning an explicit word or two may be used…ear muffs!! From voiceover...

Let's give ourselves all a round of applause, high fives, and cheers. We've made it through another school year! We know each year comes with its challenges and triumphs, today we’re reflecting on the good, bad, and in between of the 2022-2023 school year. We catch you up on what grades our kiddos are finishing up and what next year has in store. We’re chatting about homeschooling, charter...

Friends, we recognize and appreciate that so many of you come to us for our open, honest, and candid conversations week after week. After seeing the response Heather was receiving over on @theluckyfewoffical under a post that she wouldn’t be celebrating an abled person asking a disabled person to prom, we knew this topic deserved another conversation. We also knew the conversation deserved to incl...

Friends, we’re SO excited to have the star of the newest Disney reimagining of Peter Pan on the show today! Noah Matthews Matofsky joins us all the way from London to chat all about his leading role as Slightly, one of the Lost Boys, in ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ now streaming on Disney+. Before being scouted for the film by American casting agent Debra Zane, Noah had only ever been in school plays!...

Happy Mother’s Day, friends!! On this week’s episode we’re celebrating with a candid conversation about connecting with your child with Down syndrome! We know how important making meaningful connections with our kids is, today we’re talking all about nurturing those connections. What we’re doing to develop the relationships with our kiddos, learning new ways to give and receive love, and so much m...

Friends, we’re so excited to have the brilliant Dr. Brian Skotko and Dr. Noemi Spinazzi back on the show today! They’re here to tell us about a big research project they worked on involving patients with Down syndrome who identify as Black as well as parents of patients who primarily speak Spanish. This work included conducting surveys of parents and primary care physicians from across the country...

Today we’re catching up with three self-advocates from previous episodes! Advocating for the Down syndrome community from the steps of Capitol Hill we catch up with self-advocates Kayla McKeon, Matthew Schwab, and Charlotte Woodward! We were so excited to chat with them during the National Down Syndrome Society’s Down Syndrome Advocacy Conference in Washington DC! From advocating equal rights in e...

Friends, some harmful statements were made recently by an online commentator about a recent SKIMS campaign and it got us thinking about all things inclusivity in the media. She who will not be named asked, “how far are we going to take this inclusivity thing?” Girl, we’re taking this inclusivity thing ALL the way! Today we ask all the questions that harmful narratives like this leave us with. What...

Friends, next week many of us are headed to DC for the NDSS Down Syndrome Advocacy Conference! Take a (re) listen to this fantastic episode! The last time we chatted with Kayla McKeon back in November 2018, she was lobbying for the ABLE to Work act that allows individuals with disabilities to save money without losing their benefits. Today, the act has passed, but Kayla (the first registered lobby...

Sofia Sanchez helped us celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st and today her Mom Jennifer Varanini Sanchez is here to chat with us! This mother of four opens up about the Down syndrome diagnosis of her youngest son Joaquin at 3-months-old that led her on a pursuit to learning more. Listen to how a charitable donation in honor of a family member's memory led this mama on a path to comp...

Hey, Friends! Before next week’s new episode we want to (re) share another one of our favorite self-advocate episodes! Matthew Schwab is a 25 year old man with Down syndrome who is absolutely slaying it at life. There’s no better way to describe him! Since we last chatted with him in 2020, Matthew has moved into an apartment with his brother and started his own podcast! He’s officially entered the...

Today we have a very special guest here to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, the one and only Sofia Sanchez!! We just happen to be the first podcast interview (many more to come!) for this actress, model, author, and self-advocate. She has some fun projects going on: a new book, cartoon series, a feature film, and advocating on capital hill, just to name a few! Sofia gives us a tease of her exper...

For the last 5 years, we’ve worked hard to bring you expert resources, meaningful connections, and loving encouragement each and every week. And we’re so grateful for those of you who have stuck with us for the last 200 episodes! This is a milestone we are celebrating with ALL of you! You’ve listened to us navigate parenthood, education, new diagnoses, and so much more with our kiddos. And today w...

Take it from us, parenting is hard and those first years can feel like the hardest, especially with an unexpected diagnosis. But we promise that when you look back, you’re going to remember the sweet moments the most. Today’s episode is for all the new parents in the Down syndrome community. We’re sharing all the items we wish we used, the wisdom we wish we had (especially when it comes to all the...

Raise your hand if the phone number of your kid's school popping up makes your stomach drop? Hands raised over here too, friends. Today, we (Heather + Josh Avis) are chatting about recent challenges with our children’s IEPs.. what’s working, what’s not working, and why we’ve hired a lawyer. We’re asking tough questions.. Why does it feel like this system is built on something broken? Are separate...

Friends! Did you know that not only are we in the middle of Black History Month but also Inclusion Month?! Today we’re honoring the adversities faced by advocates before us and celebrating the changes we’re making now that will impact future generations. After all, the end goal is the same: creating spaces of belonging for everyone, and we mean everyone. And we know we’re in a vulnerable moment in...

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! In honor of the holiday, we have three very special guests joining us.. Josh, Andy, & Chris! That’s right! We each sat down with our husbands to answer all of your questions about relationship dynamics and Down syndrome. How do you make time for each other (and away from each other)? How do you team up to advocate for your child? How do you process your feelings...

Happy February, friends! We’re celebrating Black History Month with two of our favorite mamas (and returning guests!), Kelli Caughman and Crystal Lotterberry. Both of these ladies are raising kids with Down syndrome while running their new non-profit organization: The Black Down Syndrome Association. And friends, the work they’re doing is SO good. Today we’re talking about the many inequalities Bl...

April Aguilera is a mother of three beautiful girls, including her daughter Paloma, who has Down syndrome. She is also the writer of the short film, “For Paloma,” that stars brilliant actors with DS and details a mother’s unexpected journey through receiving a birth diagnosis. We’re so grateful April has joined us today to chat about undoing ableism as a mother of a disabled child, creating “For P...

It’s a new year and we have a new recording platform! Which means we now have access to sound effects.. so you’re welcome for that! We’re back with new episodes all year long, starting with a conversation about what we’ve been up to these last couple of months and what we’re doing (or better yet, NOT doing) in 2023! We’re rejecting hustle culture and prioritizing connections over accomplishments t...

You know how much we love celebrating people with Down syndrome all year long! We’re so excited for all the amazing self-advocates doing big things. But if you’re a parent of a child with DS who felt a little lost, sad, and maybe even lied to when you see certain posts on the internet.. then this episode is for you. We’re chatting about what happens when your child with Down syndrome doesn’t achie...

Dr. Priya Lalvani began working with previously institutionalized adults with disabilities in her early twenties.. she later gave birth to her now 20 year old daughter with Down syndrome. She’s been thinking pretty deeply about disability rights for many years and today she’s invited us to do the same. We’re questioning some common practices that might actually be rooted in ableism.. Why do we use...

Did you know that individuals with Down syndrome are frequently denied organ transplants? Just because they have a disability. We can’t believe this is a thing that’s still happening, but we are SO glad that there are people pushing back on this discrimination. Today in this episode, we are sharing two very important interviews with some extraordinary activists: Charlotte Woodward (NDSS employee +...

Hey friends! We want to (re)share a VERY important episode with all of you.. A few months ago we had the chance to attend the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network Rockin’ Mom’s Retreat and meet SO many wonderful women! And our girl Mercedes grabbed a microphone and sat down with a few lucky mamas from the DSDN Black Families group to chat all about diversity within the Down syndrome community! These ma...

Tis the season to be jolly.. and maybe also a little stressed?! Because let’s face it, the holidays are filled with fun and joy and magic but they can also get a little complicated. What are some of the challenges you’re anticipating? Maybe your family members have unrealistic expectations of your children with disabilities? Maybe your kiddos get a little overstimulated at times? Maybe you feel li...