JT Poole
Name: J.T. Poole
Age: 16
Hobbies: Music, baseball, swimming, camping, travel, other people’s electronics, cards
#TheLuckyFew #TheLuckyFewFoundation #DownSyndrome #ThisIsDownSyndrome
(THE POOLE FAMILY SERIES, JT: Richard & Mary, Parents)
JT is the first of the five to be adopted and we met him in Georgetown SC. He was a three-year-old in foster care and from the moment we laid eyes on this beautiful child, who just so happened to have Down syndrome, we knew he was our son. He literally jumped out of his foster mother’s arms into Richard’s arms, and we had to pull him out of those arms and stitch up our hearts as we left that afternoon. There was a rare snowstorm on our way home from the coast to York County and seeing it as a sign, I made Richard stop at a Gymboree store to purchase clothing for him as the snow swirled around us. Richard warned me of getting my hopes up, but I just knew he was going to be ours. This first visit was February and by Mother’s Day we finalized his adoption.
JT is now a vibrant, and rather handsome 16-year-old, who has the uncanny ability to make everyone smile when they meet him. He is a little obsessed with computers, cell phones, and tablets and can find any contact you think you have password protected or well hidden and manage to call or video chat with that person. Although he can be very difficult to understand, he has had conversations with family members, government officials, and disability board executives all over the state. He has an over abundance of energy and absolutely loves music. We live in the historic district in York and his favorite pastime is to bring out Alexa, listen to music and wave to his “regulars.” Everyone in the neighborhood knows JT. He is a very good swimmer and can be a bit of a cranky teenager – we have all been there, no? He waves to everyone and knows no strangers.
JT loves his family and is extremely empathetic. If you are feeling ill or have gotten injured, JT will care for you. He has a smile that lights up a room and a heart that can heal my soul.
