Jen Chandler’s favorite thing about her 4-year-old son Easton Chandler is his jubilant smile — a smile that will be seen by thousands in a video in Times Square Saturday, Sept. 19, one week after Easton turns five.
Easton has Down syndrome, a chromosomal condition that is found in over four million people across the globe. His picture was one of 450 selected out of 2,000 submissions for the annual video event, which is sponsored by the National Down Syndrome Society.
“I found a favorite picture of him and decided to submit,” Jen Chandler said.
She first came across the contest on the National Down Syndrome Society’s website.
Jen Chandler and her husband, Scott Chandler, found out that Easton’s picture had been chosen a couple weeks ago. They, along with their two eldest sons, Jordan, 11, and Drew, 9, are overjoyed for Easton and for the upcoming trip to New York, which will be a first for the family of five.
“The fact that we get to go as a family … we’re so blessed and so thankful for the opportunity,” Jen Chandler said. “We’re a family. Everyone in my family deserves to be a part of this.”
Directly after Easton’s picture is shown on the big screen, the family will participate in the 21st Annual Flagship Buddy Walk, which will have over 300,000 people participating all over the world. They will also visit landmarks, including the Statute of Liberty and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
Because the trip is not funded, the family set up a GoFundMe account, which received over $3,000 of the $3,500 goal in 10 days.
“I can’t believe how the community has come together for Easton,” Jen Chandler said. “[They’ve] helped us and blessed us so much for this opportunity.”
The National Down Syndrome Society’s events are created to promote acceptance and inclusion of those with Down syndrome. For Jen Chandler, it’s also about reminding the world that people with Down syndrome are no different than anyone else— they just have an extra chromosome and a little extra love.
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Easton loves chocolate milk, eating ice cream with his dad and watching Mickey Mouse. He is adventurous and likes to get into things. He loves to dance, watch his brothers play baseball and spend time with his friends at preschool.
“He gets mad,” Jen Chandler said, disproving the myth that people with Down syndrome are perpetually happy. “He’s very forgiving, extremely loving. His smile will brighten up the world.”
Easton is currently attending preschool, which he will go to for one more year before starting kindergarten at Pinecrest Elementary School. Although he doesn’t fully speak yet, he has no trouble communicating. He signs with his hands when he wants something, such as a snack, and knows what he is and isn’t supposed to do. Jen Chandler tells people to discipline him the same way they would anyone else.
“He’s extremely smart,” she said. “I’m still waiting to see the difference in a typical child and him. He’s nothing different than my other two.”
Easton is close to his older brothers. He watches their baseball games and plans to play T-ball this September.
“The sky’s the limit,” Jen Chandler said. “He can do anything he puts his mind to. It might take him a little bit longer … but you can be sure he will master it.”
Easton is raised the same as his older brothers, except for a couple of extra measures Jen and Scott Chandler take with him, such as reminding him about the dangers of going near the pool by himself or going outside alone. He helps fold the laundry, and he sets the table for dinner every night.
“I’m not worried about him more than I was about the other boys,” Jen Chandler said. “Right now I just enjoy every moment. I’m not looking to win an award with him, I’m just hoping to get out of life everything it has to offer.”
EDUCATION THROUGH EASTON
Jen Chandler has learned from Easton too. She no longer sweats the small stuff.
“Sometimes people tell me I have the patience of Job,” she said.
Yet her biggest struggle does not come from raising Easton but from finding available resources.
“You have to be an advocate,” Jen Chandler said.
Each year, Chandler brings Easton to Pinecrest Elementary for Great American Teach-In, where she gives a 20-minute talk on Down syndrome to students. She explains that Easton has trisomy 21, the most common type of Down syndrome, with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the standard two. She explains some of the possible characteristics that people with Down syndrome may or may not have, such as the upward slant of the eyes or a single crease across the palm of a hand.
“I just educate them,” she said. “Some of the kids don’t know, and you can see them sitting there and taking it all in.”
Jen Chandler also explains to the students that Down syndrome is not a disease or contagious, but a condition. If you teach them young, they learn to be more accepting, she said.
“I’ll always be his biggest advocate,” Jen Chandler said. “My biggest hope is for people in general to continue to accept any child with special needs. They have feelings, they have a heart, they have a brain. They are nothing to be afraid of.”
For Easton, Jen Chandler hopes that he continues to learn and continue the bond that he has with his family.
“He has truly changed our lives for the better, totally,” she said. “My biggest thing is that he’s no different than anyone else. He just doesn’t see negativity. If the world looked through his eyes … the world would be a much better place.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com
EASTON’S FAVORITES
Favorite Food: Spaghetti
Favorite Song: “Watch Me” (Whip/Nae Nae) by Silento
Favorite Toy: Trucks and cars
Favorite Dessert: Chocolate ice cream