Meet the new Gerber baby, Isa—she’s adorable, and she has a limb difference

One classic American staple that we can all agree makes us smile is the announcement of the new Gerber baby each year. The Gerber Baby 2022 was officially named this morning, and she is—of course—absolutely adorable. Her name is Isa Slish, she’s eight months old, she’s from Oklahoma, and she has a limb difference.

Isa will serve as 2022 Gerber Spokesbaby and take on the adorable and vital role of Chief Growing Officer (CGO) on Gerber’s Executive Committee. She also gets to serve as “Chief Taste Tester” when it comes to new baby food products—how cute is that?

When Isa’s mom, Meredith was in her second trimester of pregnancy, she found out that her daughter had a limb difference. She was born with Congenital Femoral Deficiency and Fibular Hemimelia.

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“We knew Isa was special, she has shown us that every day since she came into our lives,” Meredith tells TODAY, who announced the news. “We found out when I was 18 weeks pregnant that Isa would be born without a femur or a fibula in her right leg. We hope Isa’s story can bring more awareness for limb differences and create greater inclusion for children like her. Because, just like Isa, they too can be or do anything they want!”

Representation matters, as we know. Researchers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that about 1 in every 1,900 babies is born with a limb reduction defect (also called limb differences) in the United States.

The cause of limb differences is unknown, and there is also no known way to prevent them. The CDC says steps can be taken before and during pregnancy in order to have a health pregnancy: Taking a daily multivitamin with folic acid (400 micrograms), not smoking, and not drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

“We are completely ecstatic. This was such a big surprise,” Meredith told TODAY. “Whenever you enter your child in a contest like this, the expectation is that someone looks at her picture, so this is incredible and we are so happy.”

Related: The new Gerber Baby went viral for a very important reason

How wonderful it is for people of all ages who have limb differences to see little Isa as the face of such a huge national brand. Because everyone is worth celebrating, and should be able to see themselves in this way.

“Isa is a strong, amazing little girl that loves to interact with the world around her and nothing will stop her,” Meredith said of her daughter. “Her smile lights up the room and her laughter is irresistible.”

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