It is a real pleasure for me to introduce you to Eliana Tardío. Eliana is a tremendous inspiration to me and I know that this interview will not only help and inspire other families with family members with Down syndrome, but anyone who wants to grow as a human and is looking for inspiration in ordinary people living extraordinary lives.

Eliana Tardío, is the mother of Emir & Ayelén, both with Down syndrome. Eliana is a successful professional in Marketing and Public Relations, who writes in different publications sharing her experience as the Latin mother of two children with special needs, giving her readers what she calls “The Best Advice for Any Human Being: Hope in Love .” She currently serves as the Director of the Parent Education Network, a program funded by the United States Department of Education, which offers training and support to families of children with disabilities.

Eliana, please tells us about your two children and when were they diagnosed with Down syndrome.

My two children have Down syndrome. Emir, who is 16 years old, was diagnosed in utero when I was five months pregnant. And Ayelén, who just turned 14 years old, was diagnosed at birth. I have lived the experience of expecting a child with Down syndrome and being surprised by the diagnosis, as Ayelén’s chances to be born with Down syndrome were very low according to genetic testing. The typical tools used during pregnancy to determine the possibility of having Down syndrome, such as ultrasound and genetic markers, never showed any possibility for Ayelén to be born with it.

What was your reaction to their diagnosis? Was it any different with your daughter, since you had already gone through the process before?

When my children were born, in both cases there was a component of confusion and concern that has nothing to do with the magic of their lives as my children. I repeat this constantly because, somehow, people want to make us believe that we should feel ashamed for going through different emotions when we hear the news. The fact is that all those feelings are a part of love, and we need them to strengthen and empower that love.

With Emir, I knew nothing about his diagnosis. And the few things that I knew came to me through friends and families and were disguised in the typical prejudices and stigmas that portray people with Down syndrome as angels. With Emir, it was easy to believe that he was an angel. He has always being the sweetest person in the world. He is someone always ready to help and who finds joy in pleasing others. Ayelén is the complete opposite and I knew it from the second she was born. I was scared and confused, but I saw the strength in her eyes and I realized immediately how different she was from Emir.

Even though my biggest concern was how I was going to be able to raise two children with Down syndrome, I soon realized that the diagnosis was just that, a medical label with no power to define them as individuals. Ayelén brought the typical challenges that I did not have the opportunity to experience with Emir. Emir had a lot of medical issues and his development was slower and much more relaxed. With Ayelén everything was an explosion of emotions, and everything happened faster and with much more demands. She started attending a typical daycare at the age of 6 months, and she did great!

Is there anything you felt then that, in hindsight, that you wish you would not have felt? (fear, sadness, etc.)

Now that my children are teenagers and I see the result of everything invested in them throughout the years, there absolutely nothing I regret. I embrace and celebrate every challenge, every tear, and every smile in the path of being where we are today. My children have given me the most amazing opportunity to grow and evolve as a human being. Not because they have Down syndrome, but out of honest love and determination to give them the best possible lives through the natural opportunities that inclusion brings to all children. I have gone through extremely tough phases in the path of making things happen. But I have never been alone. They have always been there close to me remind me over and over that no one else can do it better than me. Because no one loves them like I do.

When did you decide to become an advocate, not only for your children but for those with different abilities?

I think we all become advocates when we, as parents, accept with love and gratitude the responsibility of changing the world every single day with each one of our decisions. I do not believe in people with disabilities having different abilities. I do believe that everyone has personal abilities that need to be maximized. In our role as parents, I believe in the potential of all parents to become their children’s best advocates. I believe in the ability to overcome prejudices to see our children first, while we accept and understand that disability is natural. I do not believe in erasing or hiding disability under new labels and euphemisms. I believe in dignifying it as we focus on the personal ability. And most importantly, in the right of our children to be included and celebrated being who they are. They are already enough, as we are as well in our role as parents. Everything that comes after embracing our human value is growth and evolution, opportunities to learn, and the incredible celebration of life as the most sacred and beautiful creation. I do believe my mission is to help families get there.

You are very active in educating society about Down syndrome using your social media channels. What keeps you motivated to do so?

With no doubt, my children are the center and the reason behind everything I am. More than educating society about Down syndrome, I like to believe I am sharing with others the lessons learned as a family through it. My two children are the inspiration for me to believe that life is much more than we can see and to realize that behind the challenges there are always big opportunities to learn something new and become a better version of ourselves. In my attempt to create awareness, I use the most typical and common situations. Sometimes I am just watching Emir and Yaya talk or doing the most typical and boring things in the world. And suddenly I can see the magic. I live for those moments. The memories come along the challenges behind those simple things that now manifest so easily and once they were so hard to achieve. Over and over again, it makes me realize of the power of love. In those moments, I realize it is not about Down syndrome but about surrendering to the power of love. I would like every parent to experience that incredible feeling.

There are likely many people reading this who would like to be an advocate for a cause they believe in, what would you say to those that would like to make a difference but wonder if just one person can be able to create real impact?

I always tell parents the same, “No one can do it better than you do. No one loves your child like you do. No one knows your child like you do. No one will ever believe in your child like you do.” Everything is inside our hearts and all we need to begin is to focus on our children. When we are focused on making a positive impact in ourselves and our children, our light will only grow to illuminate and inspire others. You can change the future of your child by making your very best every single day. And yes, we all together are with no doubt creating a better future and a better world, when we commit to working hard and doing our best for becoming our children best possible advocates. Not only for our children with Down syndrome, but for all children.

Almost 17 years ago when Emir was born, I knew nothing about Down syndrome. But I already knew the most important part: I already knew love is powerful. Three years later, Yaya arrived to complete the puzzle. Nothing has been easy but everything has been totally worth it. Believe in the power of your love and the love of your children. Advocate with faith and hope. You can do it!

You can follow Eliana Tardio on her Website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.