Mom runs more than 300 miles to raise awareness for Down syndrome

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - A Cincinnati woman logs 321 miles in the month of October to raise awareness for Down Syndrome.

October is Down syndrome Awareness Month and Nicole White says she wanted to do something big in honor of her daughter.

Her daughter, Kate was born with Down Syndrome.

White says the struggles of logging the miles are no different from the daily struggles she has being a mom to a kid with a disability.

White is raising awareness for Gigi’s Playhouse, which is a Down syndrome achievement center planning to open in Cincinnati soon.

The center will provide free therapy, education, and career-based programming virtually here in the Tri-State and across the country.

“It’s just a great place to build community and bring people with Down syndrome and other disabilities together,” explained White. “Just to support them in a community kind of setting.”

“It’s just a way to support another parent with Down syndrome and that’s all that we’re here for; Is to be able to support each other," adds Gigi’s Playhouse Cincinnati Startup Lead Amy Pennington. "And that’s how we get through every day.”

White’s daughter Kate is now five years old and is the youngest of four children.

White says running is a lot like being a working mom and learning new things about her daughter’s disability each day.

“You just get out there, you put one foot in front of the other, it’s really one stride after another,” explained White. “Not every stride is the same. Everyone is different. Some days are slow, some days are fast, some days you feel good, some days you just want to quit, and you just keep going.”

White chose 321 to signify the third copy of the 21st chromosome in people with Down syndrome.

White says some days it was hard to run the miles. But with the support of her family and Gigi’s Playhouse, she kept going until she reached her goal on Oct. 31.

“It’s not about me running 321 miles. I’ve got my husband; I’ve got my kids. They’re all supporting me to be able to do this just like we do with Kate," White stated. "We support her and that really is what the world should be about: community.”

You can read about Nicole’s journey in a blog here.

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