While countries such as Iceland are aborting babies with Down Syndrome, a one-year-old from Georgia is the first child with Down syndrome to win the Gerber Spokesbaby contest.

Lucas Warren from Dalton, Georgia, was chosen from more than 140,000 contestants.

“Lucas’ winning smile and joyful expression won our hearts this year, and we are all thrilled to name him our 2018 Spokesbaby,” said Bill Partyka, the president and CEO of Gerber.

Cortney Warren, Lucas’ mother, added: “We hope this opportunity sheds light on the special needs community and educates people that with acceptance and support, individuals with special needs have the potential to change the world – just like our Lucas!”

I applaud Gerber on the selection of Lucas as the 2018 Spokesbaby. In Iceland, babies like Lucas don’t get the opportunity to participate in contests because they don’t get a chance at life...​​​​​​​