Lucas Warren is the 2018 Gerber baby, and he is the first child with Down syndrome to be given the title since the contest began more than 90 years ago, "Today" reported.
The 1-year-old from Dalton, Georgia, was chosen from more than 140,000 entries to be the 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby. Gerber CEO Bill Partyka said in a Wednesday statement that it was Lucas' "winning smile and joyful expression" that set him apart from the crowd.
"We're hoping this will impact everyone — that it will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited," Lucas' dad, Jason Warren, told "Today." "They have the potential to change the world, just like everybody else."
"He may have Down syndrome, but he's always Lucas first," mom Cortney Warren said. "He's got an awesome personality and he goes through the milestones of every child... we're hoping when he grows up and looks back on this, he'll be proud of himself and not ashamed of his disability."
