We grew up in the same orphanage, two children without parents, guidance, or anyone to rely on. Life outside those walls felt impossible to imagine — yet today, Mark and I are married, raising a beautiful little girl, and building a life we once only dreamed of. 👨‍👩‍👧✨

Mark and I both have Down syndrome. Many people assumed we would never live independently, never find love, never create a family of our own. When we turned 18, we stepped into the world with nothing — no parents, no safety net, no savings, no roadmap. But we had each other. 💛

We rented a tiny room, worked humble jobs, and taught ourselves everything we would need to survive: how to cook, how to budget, how to solve problems, how to face setbacks without giving up. Every challenge tested us, but each obstacle only strengthened our bond and our belief that we could create a life together.

Years passed, and we got married. Slowly, patiently, we saved enough to buy a small home — a home we never imagined we could call ours. 🏡💫 And now, our daughter Lily fills it with laughter, light, and love every single day.

Lily knows our story — how two kids, orphaned and underestimated, promised to protect each other back when we were just teenagers. She loves hearing it, and in our family, those words aren’t just history — they are a promise that still guides our every day. 🌼

People doubted us.
People underestimated us.

But together, we built more than a house.
We built a real home.
We built a family.
And we built a life overflowing with love, joy, and hope.