Lucas' mom Courtney Warren told "Today" that she entered her son's photo on a whim, using Gerber's hashtag on Instagram. The family found out that Lucas had beaten 140,000 other kids to win the title of 2018 Gerber Baby, "Today" reported.
Meet the first Gerber baby with Down syndrome; his name is Lucas! https://t.co/RymRbTeVL9 pic.twitter.com/vYiRLYeHAX
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 7, 2018
Gerber’s CEO and president, Bill Partyka, said, “Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby. This year, Lucas is the perfect fit.”
Lucas’ mom hopes that people see more than his disability.
"He may have Down syndrome, but he's always Lucas first," Warren told "Today." "He's got an awesome personality and he goes through the milestones of every child ... We're hoping when he grows up and looks back on this, he'll be proud of himself and not ashamed of his disability."
Being named 2018 Gerber Baby isn't the only honor bestowed on Lucas. He also will receive $50,000 that his parents hope to use for his education, Time magazine reported.
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