Lindsey is a 25 year-old dancer and Chick-fil-A server from Tampa, Florida, where she now lives independently in her first apartment.

The dancer spent her childhood in tap, hip-hop, and ballet classes with typically-developing peers—"and performed as well as any of them!," her mother Jana says. Lindsey's skills on the stage also include acting, most notably in Black Box productions "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Annie," and "Oklahoma," in which she was the only performer with a disability.

Today, Lindsey does competitive cheerleading, makes dancing and singing videos on Tiktok, and attends community dance classes to keep her skills sharp. When not dancing, she can be found running on the treadmill at the gym, shopping, texting friends, and eating out. The native Floridian has also volunteered at her church's preschool and at a cancer center, in addition to her server job. Prior to this, Lindsey spent 2 years in the University of South Florida's transitional program "STAGES," learning vocational and life skills and getting to know the campus and city bus routes.

Lindsey is proud of her independence and is very confident, Jana says. She and her boyfriend of four years, Nick, plan to get married someday.

Jana emphasizes the importance of believing in these young people, saying to "have high expectations and treat them like any other child without a disability."

When asked what surprised her, Jana says, "I am surprised by the fact that I actually love having Lindsey as my child. Before I had children, I was exposed to many children and adults with Down syndrome and other disabilities." Jana at first felt uncomfortable around them. "When Lindsey was born, I was devastated. I thought my life was ruined. After the first 24 hours with my new baby, I fell in love with her and she became the most precious person in my life. There have been no regrets and no turning back since that day."