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GiGi’s Playhouse – Changing the Way the World Views Down Syndrome

As a part of our 2 ½ year trip, we are bringing awareness through action & education for social & environmental causes. We are focusing on a different Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that we’re passionate about & is a critical area of importance for each continent.  

In the US, we’re focused on the SDG of Reduce Inequalities – specifically partnering with organizations that help people with disabilities.  

It’s an area that we’re really passionate about because Thera has a sister with Down syndrome & her family has been advocating to get the support she needs her whole life.  This has made us realize how under-resourced/funded the US is for people with disabilities. She is such an amazing light & gift to our lives so we wanted to help others with disabilities.

One of the first organizations that we connected & volunteered with is GiGi’s playhouse.  Their mission is to change the way the world views Down Syndrome and to send a global message of acceptance for all.  They change lives by consistent delivery of free educational, therapeutic-based and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community, through a replicable playhouse model.  They have awesome programs for all ages ranging from social get-togethers, life skills classes like cooking, 1:1 tutoring, job prep, and many more – all of which are free & 99% volunteer run!

We’ve had the privilege of visiting several Playhouses during our road trip & seeing first hand the impact that they have on the families and communities that they serve. The Playhouse model is amazing not only because it is all free to participants because it is privately funded so families don’t have to prove eligibility & because each Playhouse has a long list of programs that they can choose from so that the services best meet the needs of their community.

Rather than trying to describe all of the amazing programs that GiGi’s offers & the community that they foster, we thought it would be best to have a participant’s family share how GiGi’s has impacted their life. One of the Playhouses we visited was in Sacramento, California where we were able to see GiGiFit in person – a fitness program to build strength, endurance, power, joint stability, balance, and movement control. It also empowers participants to be more independent and confident in their abilities while improving their overall health & wellness. This is where we met Vicki & her daughter Lauren. We asked Vicki to share more about their experience with GiGi’s to fully understand & appreciate the support that they provide.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about Lauren, her needs, & the support you receive?

Lauren is my beautiful, red headed, 22 year old spitfire who also happens to have Down syndrome. Lauren also has some brain damage due to a lack of oxygen at birth. She has transitioned out of the school district last year and into adulthood.

Lauren needs lots of personal and social supports. She is nonverbal and needs help with basic care such as dressing, toileting, bathing, and needs constant supervision. etc. She is also non verbal and is learning to use a speech device to help her communicate. She currently receives behavioral training to work through some behaviors that have prevented her from a traditional day program. We are excited to report that she will be starting a behavioral therapy focused day program soon! She loves having her own routine, and  schedule outside of the home, and the activities and connection that a program will provide. She really likes being independent with her own life outside of home and mom! It helps mom to have a break as well!

Q: What are Lauren’s favorite activities at GiGi’s & how has GiGi’s Playhouse helped Lauren & your family?

When I first realize that we were getting a Gigi’s Playhouse in the Sacramento area, I was so excited! I had heard of Gigi’s Playhouse and had seen what they were about online, but they were nowhere close to where we lived. We started having Lauren attend the Fantastic Friends social group for adults as soon as they opened their doors. Lauren is very involved with the Fantastic friends peer group that provides activities, crafts, outings, her favorite . . . dance parties, and so much more. She also attends Gigifit once a week, and while Lauren is not super athletic, she enjoys participating with her peers. She has made great strides in joining in and modeling what they are doing.  She tends to be a spectator, but has made great progress in joining in with the exercises and activities that Gigi’s provides. It’s really fun to watch her learn and grow there. She also attends their music class and gets the opportunity to play guitars, tambourines, lots of other musical instruments and even “sing“ into the microphone. She’s nonverbal, but she can act like a rockstar like with the best of them! She loves music and dance parties the best! 

We like to attend the extra activities as well! Gigi’s Playhouse has become a family affair! 

We, including Lauren’s sister, Karli,  just participated in the GIGIFIT Run/Walk and had lots of fun at the Trunk or Treat event last October. There are lots of activities and events to be involved in! 

Gigi’s was instrumental in getting Lauren acclimated back into regular life coming out of Covid. The first time we went to Gigi’s Playhouse, she was very afraid of getting out of the car, being in a parking lot, and walking to the door. Once she was inside, she seemed to love what was happening at Gigi‘s. Now, when we arrive at Gigi‘s, she jumps out of the car and is all smiles! She loves it! We are so grateful to have Gigi’s Playhouse in our area! 

We want to thank Vicki & Lauren for being so willing to share their experiences with us! We look forward to not only continuing to support GiGi’s Playhouse all over the country but also getting more involved virtually while we continue our travels. 

If you feel inspired to volunteer, you can find more information on how to get involved locally (if you have a location near you) or virtually here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/volunteer/

If you’d like to donate to help support GiGi’s free programs, you can do that here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/ways-to-give/

2 thoughts on “GiGi’s Playhouse – Changing the Way the World Views Down Syndrome”

  1. Thank you so much for visiting us and for shining a light, not only on GiGi’s, but on the needs of individuals with disabilities, in general. Good luck and best wishes for safe travels!

    Sincerely,
    Nicole Harrigan
    Board President, Sacramento
    GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers

    1. Thank you for allowing us to visit & experience the amazing community you've helped build! We are happy that we are able to share the awesome work that GiGi's is doing.

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