Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game

Jack DowDell loves to play kickball with his neighborhood friends. The teenager with Down syndrome lives in Salt Lake City with his family. His parents, Devon and Kimberly DowDell are raising awareness about Jack’s diagnosis. They use their vast social media following on TikTok and Instagram to share about Jack’s life and how to navigate a world that isn’t always inclusive and understanding.

The couple, who have a total of four children, didn’t know about Jack’s diagnosis before he was born. Nor did they know much about Down syndrome. "We've stepped into this journey that was so unknown and foreign to us, and we've just run with it," Kimberly told PEOPLE.

His Parents Came Up With a Beautiful Plan to Help Jack

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They post about Jack’s love of music and his love of being active. Because he is a little smaller and slower than many of his peers, his parents worry that other kids might leave him out or fear he could get hurt. However, this summer, they came up with a beautiful plan to help Jack stay active and make some friends.

Devon suggested a kickball game, which he enjoyed playing as a kid. The couple then invited the neighborhood kids to play with Jack. His only job in the game was kicking the ball, lowering the chances that he could get hurt. This was a really good idea.

“The first time, we had 10 kids, but then they went and told their friends and neighbors how fun it was.” Devon said. “The games just kept getting bigger and bigger. Before we knew it, I wasn’t having to ask them anymore." The neighborhood kids clearly loved the kickball game idea.

The Neighborhood Kids Were Having So Much Fun

“They started coming up to the door, saying, 'Hey, are we playing tonight?' " he added. "The funny thing is, a couple of times, we were driving down the street — probably after work, getting some food — and all the kids would follow us as we drove into the driveway, asking, 'Are we playing today? Are we playing today?' They really loved it."

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What a fantastic feeling it must be to know that the neighborhood kids were having so much fun and wanted to play with Jack. Devon made the game even better by telling the kids that he would take the winning team for Slurpees, which are Jack’s favorite.

“It’s just been a lot of fun. The kids would start chanting 'Jack, Jack, Jack' before he kicked the ball, and their parents were telling us how much they loved that their kids were staying active over the summer and having fun. It’s been a great experience all around.” Devon said.

The Kids Are Learning About Inclusion

Kimberly posted a video about one of the games, which went viral on TikTok, reaching over 1.5 million views. She captioned it, “Best dad ever! Inclusion Matters!” And it certainly does.

What Devon and Kimberly did was so creative, making for a beautiful summer—not only for their own son Jack but also for the neighborhood kids. They not only had the time of their lives but also learned about the importance of including Jack, a teenager with Down syndrome.

"The cool thing for us is that Jack now has relationships with all the kids in the neighborhood," Devon said. "Whenever they see him, they wave and say, 'Hey, Jack.' That was part of our goal, too — we wanted to help him build friendships without making it feel forced. We wanted him to have friends to hang out with. And now it’s just become a natural thing for the kids to say hi."

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The Video of a Teenager with Down Syndrome inspired Kimberly and Devon

When Jack was younger, Kimberly and Devon worried about their son’s future—whether he would have friends, get married, or face teasing. When Jack turned one year old, Devon came across a video on YouTube. It featured an 18-year-old boy with Down syndrome from Southern California. In the video, he filmed a “day in the life” for his senior project.

"I remember sitting there watching that video and I just fell in love with this guy. I didn’t even know him, but I fell in love with him. And I thought, if our Jack’s life can be anything like his, then everything’s going to be okay. There’s nothing I need to worry about," Kimberly remembers. "And now, with our social media taking off, I thought, this is so amazing because we get to be that glimpse of hope for other people."

Being Accepted and Included is Important

Jack’s parents hope that he continues to grow up in a world where he is accepted and included. They also have some small businesses that they hope he can run someday. "There's so many possibilities out there," Kimberly says. "Jack would really like to go to college. He's watched his older siblings go to college, and he talks about going to college someday."

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Special needs parents always need to think ahead about the best way to parent their child and what the future might bring. Kimberly and Devon have found ways to help Jack learn about the world, grow into the person he is meant to be, and teach others how to be inclusive. Many blessings to their family in the years ahead.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” - Colossians 3:12

WATCH: Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game

@kimberly.dowdell Best dad ever! Inclusion Matters! #downsyndrome #inclusionmatters #downsyndromerocks #momlife #momsoftiktok ♬ Stuff We Did (from 'Up') - Piano Version - your movie soundtrack

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h/t: PEOPLE

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/Kimberly DowDell