Down syndrome became a part of my story in a very unconventional way. My introduction to disability came in kindergarten, when I befriended an autistic, nonspeaking boy in my class; I've had a heart for people with intellectual and development disabilities ever since. Starting then, I sought out every opportunity that I could to be around people with disabilities, and it brought me the deepest joy. When I was 12 years old, I came across GiGi's Playhouse Nashville, a nonprofit organization providing free educational and therapeutic programs for people with Down syndrome.
I absolutely feel in love with the participants, and I started volunteering there as much as I could. The belonging and uninhibited acceptance that I felt every time I was at GiGi's Playhouse was unlike anything I had experienced before, and the fire inside of my heart for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities burned even brighter. This led me to seek out every opportunity I could to spend time with people with Down syndrome, and the Down syndrome community quickly became my whole world. When I was 15 years old, I felt the call on my heart to take my passion for people with Down syndrome a step further by starting a nonprofit organization.
I wanted to be obedient to what God was calling me to do in giving back to the community that He used to bring my life so much purpose. I started sending welcome home boxes to children with Down syndrome who had recently been adopted, as Down syndrome adoption is something I deeply love. I quickly realized that this was turning into something much bigger than I had anticipated, so in 2021 my little project became an official 501(c)(3) organization with the name "The Trium Tribe." Since then, our programs have changed based on the needs that we have seen within the Down syndrome community, and the Lord has opened countless doors for this little nonprofit to serve others.
In 2024, after lots of prayer and conversations, The Trium Tribe was rebranded and the mission statement refined to better reflect what God kept showing me was His will for the organization in this season. Now Brushfield International, our commitment to enhancing the global Down syndrome story has only grown stronger, and it is my prayer that we would continue to be faithful with all that the Lord has entrusted us with. It is not lost on me the magnitude of what I have been called to in leading a nonprofit at such a young age, and I am so thankful to get to play a small part in showing the world that my friends with Down syndrome were uniquely and purposefully created by the Creator of all things!
What we're doing here is extremely countercultural: we're proclaiming worth and value over a group of people that the world has deemed "the least of these." Everything that we do is God-breathed and ordained by His hand, and it is our prayer that this is evident to all who enter into this space. We aren't here to make a name for ourselves; our sole aim is to glorify God and love His children well! Although our programs aren't outwardly faith-based, all that we do is grounded in love and gratitude for Jesus, and we pray that He would glorify His name through Brushfield International in ways that we cannot even imagine.