2 Enzo's Are Better Than 1

Every morning in DSACTville, the sun rises a little warmer, as if it knows the kind of day that lies ahead—full of snacks, dance parties, and belly laughs that echo through the school like music.

At the heart of it all are our two sons, both who happened to be named Enzo. They aren't “the two kids with Down syndrome.” They are just Enzo: the ones with the best strategies to getting around, the gentlest life-giving hugs, and the faces behind our new legendary BuddyWalk team, 2 Enzo's Are Better Than 1.

In DSACTville, no one says the word “inclusion” like it’s a special program or a shiny sticker on a website. It’s just… life. Both Enzos learn with and from their typical peers everyday and they teach us new things about ourselves, too. Learning goes both ways here. Always has.

When birthdays roll around, neither of the Enzo’s invitations are a kind gesture. It’s essential. They make splash pads more fun, know how to dance to just the right playlist, AND make everyone feel like they belong because they both know well how powerful that feeling is.

Thankfully, no sibling in DSACTville is treated differently either. Instead, they’re commended for their empathy and bonded through the beautiful, shared experience of growing up in a world that simply gets it.

In DSACTville, our sons aren't the exception. They are an example—of joy, of patience, of resourcefulness, and of kindness that comes so naturally, it teaches others without ever needing to preach.

And nestled in the heart of DSACTville is a school that shapes this way of life every single day: The Rise School.

At Rise, kindness isn’t a virtue. It’s a reflex. Some say it’s because the teachers are like the water of a forest creek: gentle, persistent, and quietly shaping everything they touch. But those of us lucky enough to send our children there know the real reason.

It’s the kids.

Every morning, as the school doors buzz open (student-operated, nearly every time) bright smiles and laughter spill into the air. And right in the middle of it all are our sweet and smiley Enzos. The walker glides and Enzo D's SMOs cradle his low-tone ankles as plops himself down in the lobby, either to greet whoever walks in or to try and sneak out with a parent headed out. Their shirts are usually one step away from being covered in something and their grins could stop time.

Again, to their typical classmates, they aren't “the boys with Down syndrome.” They are just Enzo—the ones with the funniest moves, a knack for solving problems in their own creative way, a shared love of Bluey and Cheeze-Its, and Enzo D. is especially known as the fastest bear crawler in the west.

What makes our community so special isn’t that the Enzos are included. It’s that no one thinks twice about it.

They aren't someone’s checkbox or “good deed.” They are leaders when they want to be, listeners when it matters, and new friends through it all.

Here in DSACTville and at Rise, no one has to fight to prove that either Enzo belongs.

Because they already do.

And in their presence… others do, too.

This is the world we’re trying to create for all.

By donating to our Buddy Walk team, YOU (yes, you reading this!) are helping DSACT continue to make that beautiful world possible—through inclusive programs, support for educators, and resources for medical professionals. Every dollar brings us one step closer to the future we all want our children to live in: a world where kindness is instinct, inclusion is effortless, and every child gets to be just one of the kids.