Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

For the First Time Ever, a Down Syndrome Boy Will Become the Iconic ‘Gerber Baby’

Gerber baby Lucas Warren. Credit: Gerber.
Gerber baby Lucas Warren. Credit: Gerber.
Share Tweet
By Will Maule
Author

February 8, 2018

The 2018 Gerber baby has been announced. His name is is Lucas Warren, a 1-year-old from Dalton, Georgia who is the first child with Down syndrome ever to be named a Gerber baby since the contest began back in 2010.

“He’s very outgoing and never meets a stranger,” Lucas’s mom, Cortney, told TODAY Parents. “He loves to play, loves to laugh and loves to make other people laugh. Cortney Warren explained how she entered the Gerber competition very much on a whim after a friend pointed out the ad for submissions.

Congratulations to our 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby Lucas! Welcome to the family Lucas, send him ?love! #AnythingForBaby

A post shared by @ gerber on Feb 7, 2018 at 5:53am PST

Courtney posted a photo of Lucas on Instagram using the contest’s hashtag. Her and husband Jason were staggered to find out that their son had been picked out from over 140,000 entries to be the 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby.

Meet Lucas, the smily 18-month-old from Dalton, Georgia. He is the 2018 Gerber baby and the first ever official Gerber baby with Down syndrome. pic.twitter.com/Dc1m3FUZ8w

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 7, 2018

“Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby,” said Bill Partyka, CEO and president of Gerber Partyka. “This year, Lucas is the perfect fit.”

“We’re hoping this will impact everyone — that it will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited,” dad Jason Warren added. “They have the potential to change the world, just like everybody else.”

“We believe if brands represent children with a disability, they are communicating their value to our society,” said Katie Driscoll, the founder and president of Changing the Face of Beauty, a non-profit organization that advocates for fair and equal representation of people with disabilities in adverting and media. “Moves like this move us closer to a more inclusive world.”

Meet the new Gerber baby, Lucas!

He's the 1st child with Down Syndrome to be given the title, an incredible testament to the joy that people who may look different than us can bring.#SaveTheBabyHumans pic.twitter.com/5niGZZcojt

— Devin Sena (@DevinSenaUI) February 8, 2018

Other parents with Down syndrome welcomed the news with utter joy.

“In a puddle of tears over here…my mama heart is so so thankful…when Bodie was born I believed a lie, that others would not value him as much as I do. But, today is a new day. It is such a beautiful, good day,” wrote one user wrote on Instagram.

As a mama currently carrying a cutie with an extra chromosome this made my day!!! Thank you Gerber!!” another added.

“My older sister has Down syndrome and she inspired my husband and I to start our family by adopting a baby with Down syndrome. That baby is almost 8 now and I’m so optimistic for her future opportunities thanks to initiatives like this. Thank you for celebrating the diversity of the human condition! He’s gorgeous! Awesome selection!”

Credit: Gerber.

Lucas’ mom hopes that one day her son will look back on this and be mighty proud of  his achievement.

“He may have Down syndrome, but he’s always Lucas first,” Courtney explained. “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.”

Credit: Gerber.

So what exactly is the Gerber baby?

  • The Gerber baby logo began started back in 1928 when the company invited people to send in baby face portraits. The winning drawing, submitted by Dorothy Hope Smith, is still the company’s logo today. It became totally synonymous with the brand itself.

#

Image result for gerber baby logo
Credit: Gerberlife.com.

Now, during the competition period, people send in pictures of their child and one is chosen to represent the brand. The “spokesbaby” does not replace the Gerber baby icon however the portrait is used to market and represent the brand on many of its products.

Latest

  • Christian Persecution

    ‘Watch Out For the Early Warning Signs’: Persecuted Christians in Most Dangerous Places Reveal Where Chaos Started

  • News

    Pro-Life Pregnancy Center Attacked for Second Time in Less Than a Year

  • News

    Bible College Fires Professor Who Tweeted About Biblical Sexuality

  • Faith

    Want to ‘Experience God in a More Profound and Powerful Way?’ How One Pastor’s Biblical Practice Transformed His Life and Ministry

  • Faith

    Franklin Graham Praises DeSantis For Drag Show Kid Crackdown: ‘Doesn’t Mess Around’


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • ‘Watch Out For the Early Warning Signs’: Persecuted Christians in Most Dangerous Places Reveal Where Chaos Started
  • Pro-Life Pregnancy Center Attacked for Second Time in Less Than a Year
  • Bible College Fires Professor Who Tweeted About Biblical Sexuality
  • Want to ‘Experience God in a More Profound and Powerful Way?’ How One Pastor’s Biblical Practice Transformed His Life and Ministry
  • Franklin Graham Praises DeSantis For Drag Show Kid Crackdown: ‘Doesn’t Mess Around’

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • Culture
  • culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?