Mom of 14-year-old influencer with Down syndrome has a message for us all

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month — the perfect time for mom of 14-year-old Jayne Adamnson and her Utah-based family to speak up about what life is really like for them. They’ve gone a bit viral on her Instagram account “a_little_extra_jayne,” in which they share what a blessing it is to have a child with Down syndrome. Her account name is a nod to the fact that people with Down syndrome are born with an extra chromosome.

At the beginning of October, her mother, Summer, posted on Instagram.

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A post shared by Jayne (@a_little_extra_jayne)

“October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. And I want the world to know that having a child with Down syndrome is a blessing! That Jayne is loved and valued and included! That she has talents and interests and dreams, just like we all do! That she is happy and leads a full, beautiful life! That she is worthy of every opportunity! That she is capable and can do whatever she puts her mind to, at her own pace and in her own way! That she brings SO much light and joy into this world! To any new mamas out there—having a child with Down syndrome is a blessing and a gift!”

The video is a collection of Jayne, from her newborn photos and toddler years with her friends and siblings, to the present, where she has collaborated with Walli Cases, a brand she’s loved since Jayne herself got her own first case, to raise awareness around Down syndrome. Jayne painted a design using watercolors. The sunset-like image carries meaning for Jayne: “It’s beautiful and reminds me of heaven and Jesus, and that I am a child of God,” she says.

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A post shared by Jayne (@a_little_extra_jayne)

“[Jayne] reminds us to find the beauty in everything, that the small things are really the big things, and that we all need to be seen. … This is just another reminder that each of us have “a little extra” that makes us special and that the world is a better place with all of us in it,” Summer tells Motherly. 

Aside from the case, the video itself of moments from her life serves as an educational reminder to those not as personally connected to someone with Down syndrome that not only are they often physically and emotionally able, they are often the light of any room. We see Jayne in princess Halloween costumes, on the lake on a large raft, sledding, playing cards, participating in a dance recital, building legos, riding horses, reading, and much more. Fittingly, the song “Miracle” plays behind the video.

Jayne and her family, along with her 102,000 Instagram followers, can’t wait to see what she does next.