By Anna Robertson Ham

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to spread awareness and educate those that are not familiar with Down Syndrome. It is an opportunity to CELEBRATE those with Down Syndrome, because they should be celebrated.

Down Syndrome is the condition in which a person has an extra chromosome, involving chromosome 21, and is medically referred to as Trisomy 21. It originated in the 1960s and was named after John L. H. Down, the English physician who first described it. To me, this definition is lacking in so many ways. Yes, it is the medical definition. Giving reason or scientific logic to something from what many see as different - but how is it different? I think that having something extra… Well, that just means you are EXTRA! You are extra special. You are extra beautiful. You are extra kind aand loving. You are extra funny and captivating. We should all celebrate “the extra” that approximately 6,000 babies are born with each year in the United States.

That is exactly what photographer Stephanie Mullowney does. Stephanie is the owner of Paperdolls Photography, where capturing incredible shots is easy to do with her special “Doll” models. You see, all of Stephanie’s models are of varying abilities. Her passion for her business platform stems from her own lifw as her daughter, Hannah, was born with special needs. “My daughter was born with Down Syndrome, three holes in her heart, along with possible leukemia,” explains Stephanie.

Eight months after Hannah’s birth, Stephanie began working with a pro-videographer. “My employer had seen some images I had taken of Hannah with my iPhone and told me that I had a gift,” Stephanie explains. She saved up, as a single mother due to Hannah’s father leaving them shortly after her birth, and eventually did buy herself a real camera. “I taught myself to use it and prayed and prayed and one late night (and two pots of coffee later), Paperdolls Photography was born...and God had answered my prayer for that platform.”

“A few days after posting my first collection online, media from all over the globe was contacting me wanting to know why I photographed children with special needs, so I happily obliged them and told our story,” Stephanie says. “The images of my beautiful subjects continue to be published on an international scale showing the world faces that are defying the odds. Faces that the world once looked at and said, ‘you can’t, you won’t, you’re not worth it’ but my God said ‘before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee…’ My daughter was no mistake. God did not say ‘oops, how did that extra chromosome get there?’ No, He said ‘you are fearfully and wonderfully made.’ She was made on purpose for a purpose and proves the nay-sayers wrong on a daily basis.”

Stephanie has met many families on her new journey. “I have absolutely been blessed by my daughter with Down Syndrome and all those I've met on this journey who are differently abled,” she says. One of those families is Kristen, Josh and Claire Davis. Claire is the daughter of Kristen and Josh and was photographed by Stephanie. “She first photographed Claire when she was much younger as a part of her ‘Ribbons’ collection,” explains Kristen. “Stephanie made Claire a beautiful tulle skirt that featured all of the medical awareness ribbon colors that go with all of Claire's various diagnosis. It was stunning and was a truly beautiful session that highlighted the many obstacles Claire has overcome.”

Claire’s photos definitely show off her bright personality! “For this session with Paperdolls, I chose the colorful background because I thought it would match Claire's outgoing and fun personality. I see so much brightness in Claire now and for her future. It only seemed fitting to capture her with so much color,” says Kristen. “Claire is a TOTAL ham! She loves the attention of a photo shoot and attention in general! Now that she is getting older, she is enjoying photo sessions a lot more.”

Claire, who turns six this month, experienced a myriad of major health concerns in her first few years of life. “She was also born with a congenital heart defect called an AVSD. This heart condition was severe and meant that Claire started experiencing heart failure symptoms within days of being born,” says Kristen. At only three months, Claire had to undergo open heart surgery - which was a success. Two months later, Claire was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a form of blood cancer. “We caught the cancer early which gave Claire about six months to continue healing from her open heart surgery before beginning an eight-month long series of chemotherapy treatments. In total, Claire spent almost 300 nights at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital before her second birthday. Claire is now four years out of treatment, free of cancer and very healthy!”

The Davis family wants to encourage people to embrace everyone, regardless of their abilities. “We encourage our community to talk to each other and especially speak with children about disabilities and challenges that other people experience,” says Kristen. “This open conversation is the only way to bridge the gap between a typical child and their peers who experience physical or intellectual delays. Teach them to ask questions and to not be afraid of those who are different. We all have gifts to offer the world! One of the most important aspects of life, for a family like ours, is our desire for Claire to be welcomed into her community and to enjoy meaningful friendships with her peers. Don't all parents want that for their children? See...we aren't so different after all.”

Claire is one of the many “Dolls” that Stephanie has photographed and captured the personalities of. “I have so many stories I could tell you about - parents and I just all having a good cry as they see their set for the first time,” says Stephanie. “Seeing their child do what they were told they would likely NEVER do, just does something to that parents’ heart that is indescribable and those are my very favorite kinds of sessions...the hope giving kind. I love their child before I ever meet them. Why? Because I was once being told all the negative stuff too, and have been there myself, and so I love to show them a very different picture than the one someone else already painted for them before they came. They just don't come for pictures, they come for hope and reassurance, and that's exactly what I give them.”

“The pictures from sessions like that are not just pretty little things you hang on your wall, but have the power to completely change the hearts and minds of those who see them - giving a voice to those who can't speak for themselves. That’s why I do this,” she says.

“I have learned that we are all more alike than different,” says Stephanie. “We are all HUMAN and ALL different in our own ways, with various strengths and weaknesses. Not one person alive is perfect...not one. So how can anyone think themselves to be better than another based on a diagnosis looking down at someone as if they are somehow inferior because of it? Having my own daughter who has Down Syndrome and meeting so many beautiful children of varying abilities, I can honestly tell you that it's an eye opener to the person that I am. Seeing the hearts of these individuals has caused me to examine my own, and to be a voice for them. Having a medical diagnosis of Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy or of the like does not make you less than human, if anything, it makes you more of one. People with disabilities, a lot of times, have to work so much harder to accomplish various things than the typical person and are the hardest working adults and children I've ever met. They ARE important to society, they ARE loved, they ARE wanted, they ARE significant, and it’s our job as advocates to never stop fighting for them.”

Learn more about Stephanie’s work and see more of the “Dolls” with Paperdolls Photography by visiting her website at paperdollsphotography.com.