Gerber has announced its first spokesbaby with Down syndrome – Lucas Warren, 1-year-old from Dalton, Georgia. Lucas was diagnosed with Down syndrome when he was born, but his parents say it never affected their love for him. Lucas’s mother, Cortney, entered her son into the company’s annual contest, which drew around 140,000 entries.

Along with being featured on Gerber’s social media pages, Lucas will be awarded $50,000, which his parents hope to put towards his education.

“Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognising that every baby is a Gerber baby,” Gerber CEO and President Bill Partyka said in a statement. “This year, Lucas is the perfect fit.”

Source: Gerber/Cortney Warren

Luca’s parents were thrilled to hear that Lucas had won.

Lucas’ father, Jason Warren, said he hopes this will bring more acceptance for people with conditions such as Down syndrome.

“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,” Jason Warren told Today. “They have the potential to change the world, just like everybody else.”

Source: Gerber/Cortney Warren

Source: Gerber/Cortney Warren

Cortney Warren told Today she is excited for the honour, but she wants her son to be recognized as the funny, outgoing, music-loving child he is.

“He may have Down syndrome, but he’s always Lucas first,” she 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.”