Ten years ago, Liz Plachta gave birth to a little girl with Down syndrome named Ruby. The love Plachta felt for her daughter inspired her to create a scholarship of $2,000 to help another child with Down syndrome go to college.
“I really just wanted the world to see what I saw in her, which was that she was amazing and capable,” Plachta shared with CBS News.
The initial project of sending one child to college didn’t quite go as planned. The family actually managed to raise funds for 11 kids with Down syndrome in that year. From there, Ruby’s Rainbow was born — a non-profit aimed at securing higher education for those with Down syndrome and giving them the chance not only to learn, but also to become more independent and able to contribute to society.
Ten years later and this scholarship program has snowballed into something much bigger. Through the charity, $1.2 million has been raised, allowing many people with Down syndrome to achieve their dreams of a higher education, and showing the world just how capable they are.
However, although the scholarship program is a wonderful educational opportunity, what’s really striking is the positive message this sends to parents of children with Down syndrome, or parents expecting a child with that extra chromosome.
Plachta wants parents to feel hope. She wants parents to not be afraid of a Down syndrome diagnosis. As she shares, “[the parents] find our website, they see all of these amazing, beautiful, capable faces, and people who are out there with Down syndrome living their lives. And suddenly, they’re crying tears of joy and happiness for the future.”
This gallery of smiling achievers can be seen here.
For Ruby, at 10 years of age she has a little time before heading off to college, but she has hopes of becoming a doctor one day. And as her mom tells her “You can be anything you want to be, my love” — a message Plachta wants to spread far and wide.
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There are so many inspiring stories of those with Down syndrome smashing goals, barriers, and expectations. To discover just a small number, take a look at the slideshow:
And today we celebrate...