Joey Wittkugle of Struthers, Ohio, was remarkable in a variety of ways. He was born with Down syndrome, a genetic disease that results in a distinct facial appearance as well as intellectual, cognitive, and developmental impairments.
Joey’s mother, Bobbi Wittkugle, remembers the day she welcomed him into her life like it was yesterday. She’d never forget the day she had to make a life-changing decision.
Bobbi from Struthers, Ohio, claimed that on the day she gave birth to her precious Joey, the doctors approached her without asking her name and told her that she needed to confine him. He’s never going to say anything. He’ll never be able to walk again. He doesn’t know who she is.
Those statements were so sad that the poor mother’s heart broke. But the doctors were far from done. Joey will live until the age of 11, and then he will die, they told Bobbi.
While the doctor’s recommendation devastated the new mother, she stated that it was not unusual at the time. Bobbi recalls how difficult it was for people to accept and welcome newborns with Down syndrome or other genetic defects back then.
In a 2020 interview, Bobbi noted that 62 years ago, no one understood about children with Down syndrome because they were rarely seen walking in public.
About a long time, Bobbi was at a loss for what to do. But the Ohio woman said she knew what to do after speaking with a priest, who told her that Bobbi was chosen by God to have this child. She is unable to turn away from him.
According to the woman, the priest encouraged her in seeing that Joey was unique and needed to be treasured and valued. Bobbi gradually grasped the true significance of her beloved boy’s arrival in her life.
Joey will be 62 on June 29, 2020, having defied the odds and proving his doubters wrong. His family staged a birthday parade on June 28 at the Fifth Street Plaza in Struthers, near Save A Lot, to mark the occasion.
Bobbi, who was nearly 90 at the time, said she planned the march to show people that children like Joey are unique and require extra love and attention. «When you see one of our children, don’t turn your back on them as they did years ago,» she says. They are human, God’s creation, and please learn to love them as much as they love you.»
Joey’s birthday parade was a spectacular event filled of love, emotion, and achievement. Almost 100 cars, trucks, motorcycles, and first responders stopped to wish Struthers a happy birthday, and he was overjoyed.
Even Struthers’ mayor followed a police car. As she watched the parade, Bobbi’s eyes welled up with tears. She was moved to tears when she observed how many people had assembled to support her son. She stated that she wants people to know that if they have this child and their family wants to do anything like this, they should not say no.
Joey’s reactions revealed how much he enjoyed his family’s surprise. His mother sat next to him and was seen laying a sweet kiss on his cheek before saying, “I love you.”
Those three magnificent words summed a mother’s undying love for her adored kid, who had altered her life for the better.
Many netizens were moved by Bobbi and Joey’s tale and voiced their thoughts on social media.
Certainly, this mother-son duo’s heartwarming story demonstrates that love is sufficient to overcome all difficulties, resulting in stunning miracles.