What is now a viral photograph and story, all began with a ten-year old boy. In the end, that is the true center of this incredible story. The last week and a half has been overwhelming with the attention this story has gotten. As Christopher’s special education teacher, I am so unbelievably moved by the entire experience.
I became a teacher because spending time with children gives me purpose in my life. The now famous Warner family became part of my life in the school year of 2011. Matthew and Christopher were twins with Down syndrome and I was going to be Matthew’s teacher. The day I met Matthew was our sneak-and-peak before the first day of school. I could hear the crying from down the hallway. As I entered the classroom, there was a tiny boy with glasses and the biggest puppy-dog eyes lined with long eyelashes any girl would be jealous of. He was throwing a fit on the floor and had tears streaming down his face. New places can be scary for anyone. His twin brother, Christopher, was in the next classroom playing with toys and admiring his new desk. I wondered what I had gotten myself into and if I would be good enough to be Matthew’s teacher. Little did I know I would fall in love with these two boys and their family very quickly.
The next step was editing. It took a good part of a Saturday to get it to be just right. If it was too long, no one would watch it, if it was too short, it wouldn’t get the message across. My favorite part will always be when he gets excited seeing Adam Levine wearing glasses in his “Sugar” video. It’s a battle most days to get him to wear his own glasses, so I took mental note that Adam was helping the cause. After sharing the final product with Christopher’s mother and Jay, it was ready for YouTube. Christopher watched it 3 times that night.
Jay, Cecilia, and I worked to spread the word via social media about the video. I woke up Sunday morning to a news story link in an email. When I saw that it was about Christopher I almost dropped my coffee. Turns out, Brendan O’Connell, a WFES alum, saw the video through a local Facebook group and took the story to Fox 5 News, who he worked for. This lead to a series of news segments.
The fact that Christopher reacted this way tells me that he truly understood the magnitude of what was happening. I’m so unbelievably happy he got to meet the band and see them in concert. After the concert we asked Christopher who got scared, him or Adam Levine, and he said, “I got scared”. That night he went to bed happy in his Maroon 5 shirt after the evening of a lifetime, not because he was in the news.
I hope people will understand that kids with disabilities are true heroes who have to work at least twice as hard as any other student. Everyone learns differently and has different interests and we need to respect that in every child. Tapping into kids’ interests drastically improves their learning and engagement. Believing in them and truly getting to know them as people and not reading levels or test scores makes a difference in their lives. You don’t have to make world news to make a difference in a child’s life. Going to soccer games, art shows, dance recitals, school events, and encouraging your kids to invite you to their events helps you build relationships with them and their families. I hope that people will know kids with Down syndrome want to be treated like their peers, feel accepted, and be labeled as kids first.
These boys and this family have changed my life. News stories fade, but for the rest of my life, I will have the privilege of being part of their lives, and watching them grow, learn, and most importantly, be happy.
(special thanks to the family for allowing me to share)