Everyday hero: For Faith- Christina, blanketing others in love is the greatest gift!
High-school senior Faith- Christina Duncan is giving hope and love to families all over Florida by donating her beautiful handmade quilts to the parents of babies born with Down syndrome— just like her!
Faith-christina Duncan smiled at her mother, Nancy-carole, as she gazed down at her latest creation.“do you like it?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.
“It’s beautiful,” her mom breathed, marveling at the vivid colors and intricate patterns her daughter had worked into the quilt she’d made.
The St. Cloud, Florida, 15-year-old had come a long way in the three years since she’d learned to sew. She’d even recently started to sell her handmade blankets on her own website, but this quilt…this was something special.
“I’m going to donate this quilt to the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida,” Faith-christina announced.
The teen—who had been born with Down syndrome— wanted to thank them for helping her to believe in herself…to see all she had to offer.
“We’ll hang it just inside the door of the Success Center,” the association’s director smiled when Faith-christina presented the intricate quilt. “It’ll be a beacon of hope to everyone.”
Christina beamed. So many people had told her parents that she wouldn’t make it in the “real world,” but Faith Christina had never let negative words hold her back. She’d excelled in school, joined extracurricular teams, took dance and most recently, started a sewing business.
I want to show other kids like me that they can do anything, she thought. And as she gazed up at her quilt on the wall, Faith-christina had an idea.
“What if I make baby blankets for new parents of babies with Down syndrome?” she said excitedly. “To show them all the wonderful things their babies can grow up to do.”
The director’s eyes lit up as she said, “Yes! We can include them in the welcome baskets that we give to all the families!”
So in 2016, Faith-christina began sewing tiny baby blankets, praying it would give each of the families a little hope and joy.
Paige Mcmillen received a blanket after her son, Tristan, was born. “I was in a really bad place after Tristan was diagnosed, and the blanket was just a ray of sunshine,” she admits. “Knowing that Faith-christina had the generosity and heart to give this gift to parents like us was so heartwarming and empowering—it really helped us through the hardest time!”
Today, in addition to her full high-school course load, a part-time job and running her sewing business (Imperfectcreations.net), 18-year-old Faith-christina continues to donate her quilts and blankets, offering love to hundreds of parents.
“I want both the kids and parents to feel good about their futures,” says Faith-christina. “When people tell me I can’t do something because I have a disability, I tell them not to ‘diss my ability’—i can do anything, and these kids can too!” — Alexandra Pollock