The Lucky Few: Parenting, Proximity, and the Calling to Celebrate Down Syndrome - w/ Heather Avis

Voxology

Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2017

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How proximity, storytelling, community, and embracing complexity help transform cultural narratives about disability and reshape the Church's witness to those the world often overlooks. Mike and Andy welcome back Heather Avis—author, mother, advocate, and founder of the Lucky Few—for a powerful conversation in recognition of World Down Syndrome Day.

Through candid storytelling, laughter, and raw honesty, Heather, Mike, and Andy reflect on their shared journeys as parents of children with Down syndrome. They explore what it means to celebrate their kids joyfully and unapologetically in a world that still often sees disability through the lens of sorrow or burden.

This episode goes far beyond advocacy—it is a reflection on God's invitation for all of us to enter into spaces of discomfort, risk, and deep love for the sake of others. It's about the beauty found in the "yes" to raising children with Down syndrome, the brokenness of systemic ableism, and the everyday wonder these kids bring into the world.

Key Takeaways: • Parenting Children with Down Syndrome – Heather, Mike, and Andy share their adoption stories, fears, joys, and the transformational impact of raising their children. • The Power of Proximity – Why relationship and authentic inclusion—not pity or distance—change culture and hearts more than social media ever could. • Confronting Ableism – Personal stories of heartbreaking exclusions and how our systems are still built for the "typical," despite efforts at inclusion. • What If There Were a Cure? – Wrestling with the ethics and theology behind conversations about eradicating Down syndrome and what that says about our values. • Joyful Non-Compliance – Advocating for our kids begins with celebrating every little victory for what it is: sacred and worthy of delight.

Guest Highlights: Heather Avis – Author of The Lucky Few, adoptive mom of three children (two with Down syndrome), and fierce advocate for inclusion, dignity, and beauty in diversity. Heather shares her heart about the importance of story-sharing, confronting cultural narratives of "normal," and using her platform to spotlight the incredible value her children carry just by being themselves.

Resources Mentioned: • The Lucky Few by Heather Avis – heatheravis.com • Heather's Instagram – @macymakesmyday • Learn more about the movement at theluckyfew.com • Changing the Face of Beauty – Link • World Down Syndrome Day – worlddownsyndromeday.org

Join us in celebrating the beauty of difference and becoming people who say a full-throated "yes" to others the world might overlook. Subscribe, leave a review, and follow Voxology wherever you listen—your support helps amplify voices that matter.

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

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Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.

Our Merch Store! ETSY

Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, Internet, Mike and Andy here with our special friend Heather Avis is with us today.
0:18.9	We, she does not have the privilege of being in the World Vox headquarters with us.
0:23.9	She is calling,
0:25.1	where are you calling from?
0:27.3	I'm in the World Avis headquarters,
0:30.5	which is in Monrovia, California.
0:32.6	Beautiful.
0:33.1	So the,
0:34.1	and if you don't know where Monrovia is,
0:37.1	just picture a desert turned up on high.
0:40.8	And, and it's nice.
0:43.2	I mean, it's nice, Minrovia, this time of year.
0:45.7	It's nice.
0:47.2	But it does not touch the World Vox headquarters in Brea.
0:52.4	So we're sorry you're not here.
0:56.2	However, due to the wonders and the perplexities of modern technology, we have some sort of fuzzy connection with you. We are
1:02.2	thrilled. We have any connection, but we apologize of our audio is just a little off today as we
1:07.6	were scrambling for about half an hour to figure out how to pull this off. However,
1:12.6	we want to remind you, we did an interview with Heather and her husband and Andy and Mercedes and myself and Justina last year at exactly this time because March 21st is coming.
1:26.6	And March 21st, Andy is... 21st Andy is world down syndrome day
1:29.9	so we're going to record this today um and we are uh we're going to release it on world down
1:37.4	syndrome eve day eve world sound world down syndrome day eve yeah is when this podcast will be
	...

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