Hi Everyone! Thank you for considering donating to the Step Up walk in Abel’s name. It truly means the world to us and the DS community.

An update on Abel over the past year is that he has turned 3 years old, started pre-school, and has also started walking on 5/16/2026! Now that Abel is 3 he is talking more and playing with others and playing pretend more frequently. This will be Abel’s 4th walk with Step Up.

Abel has Trisomy 21 and such a happy and handsome little boy. Abel has had some challenges, but he has overcome them with a true warrior’s spirit! Abel had open heart surgery when he was just 4 months old for his atrioventricular canal defect, and his cardiologist told us this year that his heart is doing WONDERFUL and there is little chance that he will need to have an additional heart procedure. Abel was 3 weeks early and had underdeveloped lungs. Abel does have 2 forms of sleep apnea (central and neurological) and can snore like a freight train 😀

The Step-Up Walk means so much to our family because it allows us to celebrate Abel and others like him since they are all so wonderfully unique and special. This walk allows Abel to connect with children and adults who are like him. The walk also provides me a way to connect with other parents, families, and resources that I might not be able to do otherwise. This will be our fourth year participating in the walk and I cannot wait to show others how much Abel has grown in just a year. Please feel free to stop us or come by our tent to chat and meet Abel in person!

I again cannot thank God enough for giving me such a wonderful, unique, loving, caring, and special child. I am so lucky to have him in my life, and I am so privileged to help guide Abel in this wild journey of life!

I am so grateful for this special little man and all the people who support him. I hope that everyone can see Abel’s love, spirit, heart, and wonderful uniqueness and know that he is the PERFECT little man!