Who We Are
Jack’s Basket is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to celebrate babies with Down syndrome. We strive to ensure that every new and expectant parent is provided resources and avenues of support within the community. We aim to equip medical providers with tools to discuss the diagnosis in an unbiased way in hopes that having a baby with Down syndrome is celebrated like any other.
Our Mission
We support families from the time of diagnosis to the baby’s 1st birthday. We do this by focusing on three primary activities:
Engaging and equipping medical providers with tools to communicate and discuss Down syndrome accurately without bias.
Connecting new parents with other families and resources through our basket delivery program.
Sharing powerful stories to change the narrative around Down syndrome.
How Our Story Began
In March 2013, Jack’s family received his Down syndrome diagnosis at birth, in an abrupt and assumptive way. They were given no information about the genetic condition. Processing an unexpected diagnosis was overwhelming and daunting to them as new parents. They found their best resource and encouragement was connecting with other parents raising a child with Down syndrome. After a year of finding joy in the unexpected, Jack’s family wanted to celebrate his life by bringing hope and encouragement to another family starting their journey. In March 2014, Jack’s family delivered the first two baskets at the same hospital in Minnesota where Jack was born.