I’ve got THE Joy, Joy, Joy!

This is my friend, Joy Marie Minor. Or, Baby Joy as I like to call her. (Although she is a big girl now at 16 months old, I think I can still get away with calling her “baby” for awhile.) If you’ve been reading this blog for the past year or so, you’ve seen Joy here before a few times. Last year Joy and her parents Paul and Jessica inspired me to get involved with our local Buddy Walk for Down syndrome and I raised over $600 for Team Peace, Love, & Joy! Our team total fundraising was over $3,000!

Joy has had a BIG year since last year’s Buddy Walk. She’s worked hard in her therapies and can now sit up all by herself! She knows lots of sign language signs thanks to her ASL-professional Mommy and Daddy. She’s watched her big brother tackle kindergarten and she’s secured talent representation with Down Syndrome in Arts and Media and had had TWO professional modeling jobs, one for Infantino’s Everybody Plays campaign (first plane ride! To California!) and one for Sweet Petunia Clothing (which big brother Jay {who I want Sophie to marry because then I will have the most exquisite grandchildren eva-ah} was also a part of). Joy’s beautiful face is changing the way our society views people with disabilities. Woot woot!

One of Joy’s photos from the Sweet Petunia shoot also made her the cover girl for this year’s Buddy Walk! If you’re local to Dayton, you’ll start seeing this billboard off of I-75 this week! Go Joy!!

Obviously, Joy is beautiful. She is sweet, she is smart,  she is funny, and she is a hard worker. But do you know what Joy’s greatest asset is?

Her wonderful family.

This baby girl hit the jackpot in the family department. She has the most amazing mom, dad, and big brother who work hard to make sure she’ll get all the resources she needs to reach her full potential. She also has two stellar sets of grandparents, not to mention aunts, uncles and cousins who love and encourage her.

And one of her family’s biggest assets?

The Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association.

The MVDSA is a volunteer-lead non-profit organization that provides support to individuals with Down syndrome and their families living in our area. Joy’s mom, Jessica, says, “We were introduced to the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association (MVDSA) right after Joy was born. The support physically, spiritually and financially has been a blessing to us this year. We have developed a support group of families that we now call friends. The MVDSA is a volunteer lead non-profit organization. The Buddy Walk supports our Moms Night Out, DADS group, Playgroups and monthly family meetings. With the support of MVDSA, friend and family we are proud to say that Joy is a happy, healthy little girl who happens to have Down syndrome! “

Funds raised through the Buddy Walk also provide scholarship funds for individuals with Down syndrome that can be used for therapies, tutors, and lessons to help those kiddos become equipped to do their best!

As Jess stated, the MVDSA is essential to the families it serves. This is why I’m raising money for the Buddy Walk again this year. I love the awesome people in my community with Down syndrome and I’m proud to support them and their families.

I set a $500 fundraising goal this year and I even got my family involved! Bobby, Joshua, Sophie, and Jonah are walking with me and Bobby and the big kids all have fundraising goals, too. We would LOVE your support in our fundraising efforts! I could use some $5 Friends! Any amount you want to donate will help so much and is sincerely appreciated from the heart.  You can donate to my efforts online here. Or, if you think it’d be more fun, you can donate to Joshua’s efforts here, to Sophie’s here, or to my husband Bobby’s here. It all goes for Team Peace, Love, & JOY!

Thanks in advance for supporting us – we love our $5 Friends!