21-year-old man named Jake Pratt, was always told he wouldn’t accomplish any of his goals or contribute to society, but he proved one by one wrong.
And recently, he achieved something very few thought he was capable of, getting a job.
Jake Pratt, 21, from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, was born with Down syndrome. The diagnosis surprised his parents, and they feared that it would cast an ominous shadow over his life.
His sister Amy Hyde says the doctors even told his family that he would never be” a functional member of society,”. She recalled: ” [The doctor] said that his impairment would keep him from living any sort of normal life, and he might even need to be institutionalized,”.
But nothing could be more wrong – Jake is doing excellent and has the full support of his family.
Amy explains: ”My family has always embraced the philosophy that Jake is no different from you or I and that there are no limits on what he can accomplish,”
Reportedly, Jake recently obtained a job with UPS helping to deliver packages.
His sister shared a photo of Jake on Twitter thanking UPS for “promoting inclusion in the workforce” and praising him for his hard work.
She wrote: “He loves his new job running packages up to 8 hours per day. That’s after working 6-10 am every morning at the golf course,”
Jake has never complained about the fact that he was born with Down syndrome and he has always made the best of the situation.
His sister said: ”He wanted to be on the high school football team when some people thought that was impossible, but he did it,”
”He wanted to score a touchdown in a game, and he did. He wanted to go to college, and he did. He wanted to get his driver’s permit, and he scored a perfect 100 on the exam.”
Jake’s new job is great for his personal development and also helps him make new acquaintances. Meeting other people has always been important to Jake, and his colleague Richard has become a great friend.
But not only has Jake achieved professional goals – but he’s also found the love of his life. Since high school, Jake has been together with his girlfriend Grace, who is the shy type.
But they are a perfect match, and it was Grace who took the first step and invited her to dance. They are more in love than ever and recently the couple celebrated Thanksgiving together. The two lovebirds want to spend their future together and dream of a beautiful wedding.
