Graham Myers and Ellis Bull along with their moms, Lauren Myers and Kate Durio, stopped by First at Four to share how their boys are representing Acadiana and the Down Syndrome Community in Times Square.
Graham Myers and Ellis Bull along with their moms, Lauren Myers and Kate Durio, stopped by First at Four to share how their boys are representing Acadiana and the Down Syndrome Community in Times Square.
Graham Myers and Ellis Bull to represent the local Down Syndrome community in an annual national video presentation to bring awareness to the Acadiana non-profit, For Goodness Graham that works to advocate and educate through book sharing.
Tiny two year-old best friends, Graham Myers of Jennings and Ellis Bull of Lafayette are cute, energetic and whizzing by milestones like most toddlers, but this duo also shares an extra shared trait - an extra chromosome.
Due to this little extra chromosome, Ellis’ dad, Charles, coined the phrase, the “Lagniappe Boys” for Graham and Ellis who were born two weeks apart in 2022. The boys and their families have since created a community for other littles with Down Syndrome and their families in the Acadiana area with playdates and an online group.
Now, for their next adventure, the “Lagniappe Boys” will be traveling with their families to New York City to represent the non-profit, For Goodness Graham and see themselves in the bright lights of Times Square on Saturday, September 7, as part of the annual National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) Times Square Video presentation.
“This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is shaping up to be the national stage for awareness and advocacy we need for these incredible kids to showcase what thriving and blowing through milestones looks like for this generation of kids with Down Syndrome. Graham and Ellis could not be better ambassadors and proof of what is possible for them, when only three decades ago, outcomes were much more uncertain because of so much less understanding, acceptance and support,” said Graham’s mother, Lauren Myers.
“We see so much opportunity for improved outcomes for our kids thanks to early therapy and support in place and see no limits to what our kids will be able to do in their lifetimes,” said Ellis’ mother, Kate Durio Bull.
The photo of Myers and Bull in an art class held by Borderless Color last fall, was selected from nearly 3,000 entries in the NDSS worldwide call for photos. Their photo will be shown on two jumbotron screens thanks to the support of ClearChannel Outdoor.
The two screens are above Dos Caminos restaurant in Father Duffy Square. The presentation will be livestreamed on the NDSS Facebook page from 9:30-10:30 am ET on September 7.
For the boys’ families, Graham and Ellis are their own greatest assets for inclusion and awareness and now all of New York will get an opportunity to see what the boys and their families already know.
“Graham, and his Down syndrome, have been gifts far beyond my expectations. His joy, silliness, and determination have inspired me to create our non-profit For Goodness Graham. Our mission is to spread awareness, promote inclusion, and foster acceptance of people with disabilities by getting books into children’s hands. We work with schools and libraries to diversify their book collections to include disabled characters and their stories. Graham has made me a better person and I hope to make the world a better place for him (and Ellis!),” said Graham’s mother, Lauren Myers.
“Being Ellis’ parents has been the greatest honor of our lives and we share that with day-in-the-life photos on social media in the form of “The Ellis Daily” which has far exceeded our expectations of acceptance and love for Ellis and we are looking forward to the rest of the world seeing our two “Lagniappe Boys” thriving up there on the big screen,” said Ellis’ mother, Kate Durio Bull.
The one-hour video of 500+ photographs includes children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 14 countries. These collective images highlight individuals with Down syndrome in the most visible way on two screens in the heart of Times Square.
The Times Square Video presentation kicks off the New York City Buddy Walk® which takes place at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The flagship Buddy Walk® has taken place in New York City since 1995 as part of the National Buddy Walk® Program.
Over 150 Buddy Walk® events are held in communities across the country and select international locations. For more information about the New York City Buddy Walk® on September 7 or the National Buddy Walk® Program please visit www.ndss.org.
