“Friends are like flowers. They fill the world with beauty.” — Celeste Barnard
For Jack DowDell, life always has a simple start – he wakes up, turns on his favorite songs and sings. And he doesn’t worry if anyone hears – he just loves to make music.
For the 14-year-old teenager from Salt Lake City, Utah, life is about those little moments. Jack was born with Down syndrome. His mom, Kimberly, and his dad, Devon, said his diagnosis at birth was a bit of a shock. But the pair knew that whatever came their way, they would make Jack’s life special.
And the couple admits that they didn’t know much about Down syndrome, but all these years later, while raising three other children alongside Jack, they now spend their time raising awareness in the community on inclusivity, using TikTok and Instagram to help show the world what life is like for Jack.
Jack DowDell, front left, watches as the ball he kicked sails over his friends during a game of kickball. Photo courtesy of the DowDells
“We’ve stepped into this journey that was so unknown and foreign to us and we’ve just run with it,” Kimberly said. While the internet loved Jack, his parents said that they worried some that because he was a bit smaller and slower than some of his peers, they worried he might not have people to play with.
So, Devon came up with an idea for his son. Wanting to keep him active, Jack’s dad thought of kickball, a game he said he always enjoyed when he was younger. Devon and Kimberly invited kids from the neighborhood to join in. At first, it was just a handful of kids – but Devon was thrilled.
The kids split into two teams, and Jack’s only job was to kick the ball. This way, other kids would run, but Jack would be safe from being accidentally knocked over, or tripped. And he still got to play in every part of the game. But what the family couldn’t know was how much this one simple game would become such an important event for the neighborhood.
“When we first started, I’d go up to a couple of the neighbor kids and ask, ‘Do you want to play?’ ” Devon said. “The first time, we had 10 kids, but then they went and told their friends and neighbors how fun it was.”
The games just kept getting bigger and bigger. Before we knew it, I wasn’t having to ask them anymore.”
Jack DowDell, center, and his friends enjoy their winning Slurpees. Photo courtesy of the DowDells
“They started coming up to the door, saying, ‘Hey, are we playing tonight?’ ” he said. “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.”
Now, Devon takes the winning team to get Slurpees at a convenience store, a favorite drink of Jack’s. “It’s just been really popular,” Devon said. “The kids have loved it in the neighborhood, and with me being the ref, it kept the game moving. Everyone was happy, and it kept Jack safe with all the interactions.”
And in the end, it has brought all the kids together. “It’s just been a lot of fun. The kids would start chanting ‘Jack, Jack, Jack’ before he kicked the ball,” Devon said. (The other) 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.”
