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Here's the meaning behind the viral 'Lucky Few' tattoo

The three arrows have important symbolism.

meetmrshowell/Instagram

There are a lot of reasons to get a tattoo — to honor a loved one, visualize a spiritual or life goal, or just for the aesthetic appeal.

(They do look pretty cool, after all.)

Tattoos can also symbolize that you belong to and identify deeply with a certain group — like the recently famous semicolon tattoo that denotes a person's battle with depression or suicidal thoughts.

Now a group of moms is banding together through custom ink — called the Lucky Few tattoo — that symbolize their family's experience with Down syndrome.

A group of these moms recently met up at a Ruby's Rainbow retreat — a nonprofit that raises funds to get people with Down syndrome the education and training they need to succeed in the world — when they decided to get matching tattoos to commemorate their unique bond.

Designer Mica May was among those in the group, and she came up with a concept on the spot: three arrows stacked on top of one another.

They decided to call it the "Lucky Few" tattoo in reference to a popular book about Down syndrome.

Woman hugging her child while displaying a three arrow tattoomeetmrshowell/Instagram

What's the origin and meaning of the Lucky Few tattoo?

In an Instagram post, May wrote that the concept for the tattoo had come to her in a dream, though she initially wasn't sure what it meant.

The other moms noticed that the number three seemed to be incredibly symbolic of Down syndrome, also called trisomy 21, in which children are born with three copies of the 21st chromosome.

The three arrows in the tattoo represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome, as well as the ability to move forward.

This genetic irregularity puts people affected by Down syndrome at greater risk for certain health conditions and presents different challenges for them in the way they learn and move through the world.

Down syndrome affects about 6,000 babies in the United States ever year.

A woman displaying three arrow Lucky Few Tattoo on her fingersavanna.lauryn/Instagram


Now the movement is going viral, with parents, teachers, and loved ones of people with Down syndrome all over the country joining in.

People who admit they never thought they'd get a tattoo are going under the needle to show their love and support for people affected by the syndrome.

Woman displaying three arrow Lucky Few Tattoo on her forearmmeetmrshowell/Instagram

Hundreds are taking to Instagram using the hashtag #theluckyfewtattoo to share their photos and stories.

Some parents have even organized mass tattoo-ing events in their area.

The Mighty reports that one group in California had over 260 local moms sign up to get the tattoo at the same local shop.

Parenting a child with Down syndrome can be a tremendously difficult challenge. It can also be extremely rewarding.

The difficulties can be vast, but one survey found that parents of children with Down syndrome self-reported that their outlook on life was more positive than before, with the experience teaching them new depths of love and compassion.

Elle Westover, who shared her own tattoo on Instagram recently, put it like this: "The Arrows, because we can only launch forward after we have been pulled back and stretched."

There's no overestimating how much a sense of belonging can help people through hard times. The Lucky Few Tattoo is a constant, visual reminder for these parents of why the challenges are worth it.


This article originally appeared on 2.2.18

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Here's to the dedicated dad who pushed his son through more than 1,000 races over 40 years

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Dick and Rick Hoyt were an unforgettable team.

The father and son duo ran their first race together in 1977, after Rick told his dad that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile charity run for a lacrosse player who'd been paralyzed in an accident. Rick has cerebral palsy and is a quadriplegic, so Dick agreed to push him in his wheelchair while he ran. They came in next-to-last, but the experience opened up a whole new world for them.

"Dad, when I'm running, it feels like my disability disappears," Rick told his dad after that race. From then on, Dick ran as many races with his son as he could.

Over the next four decades, Dick and Rick would participate in over 1,000 races together, including completing the Boston Marathon 32 times. They even completed duathlons and triathlons, with Dick using a bungee attached to a vest he wore to pull Rick in a boat while he swam, and using a two-seater bicycle during the cycling portions of the races.

What Dick helped Rick achieve was extraordinary, especially considering the fact that when he was born, doctors had told Dick and his wife Judy that Rick should be institutionalized since he had little chance of ever living a "normal" life. Instead, Dick and Judy embarked on a mission of inclusion for Rick in school, community, sports, and the workplace. They worked with engineers at Tufts University to get Rick an interactive computer in 1972 so he could communicate with taps of his head. Their tireless efforts eventually led to Rick graduating from Boston University with a degree in Special Education in 1993.

Throughout it all, Dick and Rick would run races together. In 1992, they biked and ran together across the entire U.S.—a full 3,735 miles in 45 days. After some health concerns, Dick was set to retire from marathon running after the Boston Marathon in 2013, but the bombing made it so they couldn't participate, so they ran it in 2014 instead. In 2015, he served as the Grand Marshall of the race.

Dick Hoyt, this loving father who embodied dedication, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday. He was 80 years old.

The Boston Athletic Association released a statement:

"The B.A.A. is tremendously saddened to learn of the passing of Boston Marathon icon Dick Hoyt. Dick personified what it meant to be a Boston Marathoner, showing determination, passion, and love every Patriots Day for more than three decades. He was not only a fan favorite who inspired thousands, but also a loyal friend and father who took pride in spending quality time with his son Rick while running from Hopkinton to Boston."

Dick's other sons, Russ and Rob Hoyt, broke the news to Rick about their father's death.

"He's sad, as we all are, but he's OK," Russ told the Associated Press. "You could see it in him, it was like someone hit him."

Rick was once asked what he would give his father if he could give him one thing, and Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."

But Russ Hoyt wants the world to know that Dick's dedication went beyond running with his disabled son.

"I know it's a cliche, but I want people to know that I thought my father was a hero, not just because he pushed Rick in the marathon, but because he was a great father to all of us you could talk to about anything," he said. "He inspired people to look at all their children as equals no matter their disability."

In addition to his service to his family, Dick Hoyt was a 37-year veteran of the Air National Guard, retiring as Lt. Colonel in 1995.

Rest in peace, Mr. Hoyt. Thank you for serving as a tireless example of dedication and determination for us all.


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How friends, family, and food stamps help this woman with disabilities survive.

When Cassandra J. Perry was 13, a physical disability prevented her from going to school.

She had a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which means that her joints are unstable, her connective tissue is weak, she’s more prone to injuries, and she has chronic pain.

When she began living alone as an adult after splitting up with her spouse, she worried about how she’d be able to grocery shop.

Her physical disabilities — Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteoarthritis, and pudendal neuralgia — had become more severe over time, making physical activity harder for her.

“Grocery shopping and food prep have become impossible on my own,” says Perry. “I can't always get to a store, and when I can, I can't carry my own groceries due to limitations on how much weight I'm allowed to hold and carry.”

Cassandra J. Perry. Photo by Louis Shackleton, used with permission.

Perry had to rely on the generosity of friends to get enough to eat.

With Supplemental Security Income (SSI) being her only source of financial support, she crowdfunded six times to have enough money to buy groceries.

She had a Patreon account for eight months. Two of her friends regularly helped her cook meals, and others invited her over for meals.

“To survive, I kept a strict budget, which I would share publicly each time I needed to crowdfund,” Perry explains. “I had to get over my pride and my fear of asking for help.”

She supplemented the crowdfunding and SSI income with money she made selling her belongings, such as clothing and books.

Perry knew this method of survival wasn’t sustainable, so she joined the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the spring of 2015.

Often known as "food stamps," this benefit gives her $192 each month, which covers half of her overall food costs.

“Without [it], I would only be able to meet my food needs by relying on the generosity of my social network, food pantries, and food kitchens," she says.

“Most days, I can't physically walk around a store, even if someone is doing the carrying for me,” she says. Her friends and family help by going to the store with her, and they do the shopping while she waits in the car. She then joins them in the checkout line to pay using her benefits.

Perry paying for groceries with her EBT card. Photo by Louis Shackleton, used with permission.

And thanks to local farmers markets,  that $192 a month extends even farther.

These local markets match up to an extra $30 for healthy items, allowing her to bring home more fresh produce.

Because she’s on food stamps, Perry also qualifies for community support agriculture, where subscribers receive a regular supply of produce and other farm goods, such as in-season fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat and milk.

Since unprocessed, fresh foods tend to be more costly, her benefits and the additional incentives to buy fruits and vegetables make a significant difference.

Perry says that food pantries and kitchens tend not to have the specific kinds of healthy foods her doctor recommends as part of her treatment. This makes the fact that her food stamps give her access to more fresh produce particularly invaluable. Perry can also use her benefits to buy prepackaged and prepared (cut, chopped, diced, or peeled) produce, which she can't get at food pantries and is easier for her since she has limited use of her hands.

Perry is grateful that she never has to make the choice between eating or paying rent.

Photo courtesy of Cassandra Perry.

“This provides me with a guarantee that I'll have food to eat because I won't have to choose between eating and paying bills,” she says. “Every last dollar I can muster is put to very good use.”

Because she is physically unable to work and lives on a limited budget, her benefits are a lifeline.

According to the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, 1 in 4 participants on food stamps have a disability that prevents them from working — just like Perry. That’s more than 11 million people. These benefits ensure they never have to make an impossible decision between going hungry or having a roof over their heads.

You can’t put a price on that kind of support.

Heroes

These kids are using technology to turn their prosthetics into a superhero's dream.

If you could give yourself a superpower or a superhero-style gadget, what would it be?

I always say I'd want to be a shapeshifter or have a car that could shape-shift à la the Batmobile because I like pretending to be other things.

It's a fun question to ask friends because it gets everyone to think outside the box and have a good time being creative.

Now consider this: What if you could take those ideas and actually make them functional? (Who else's inner comic nerd just perked up?)

That's the idea behind Superhero Boost — a weeklong workshop where disabled kids get to create their own superpowers in the form of wearable devices.

One kid's light-up prosthetic. All photos by Autodesk/Blue Bergen, except where noted, used with permission.

The workshop was launched in 2014 by Kate Ganim and has since turned into an intensive series of workshops that help kids harness their inner designer and/or engineer.

"We aim to create a space for kids to celebrate the bodies that they're in and to re-think their disability as a super-ability," writes Ganim in an email.

However, she stresses that it's not about trying to "fix" these kids. Many of them were born without a limb or part of a limb; because those were never there in the first place, the kids don't feel like they're missing anything. Instead, it's about helping them create something cool and unique that they're proud to show off.

"Why does it have to be a hand, when it could be literally anything and it could do things that a natural hand isn't able to do?" asks Ganim.

What's more, the kids get to make their body modification using state-of-the-art technology like 3D modeling, robotics, and Google artificial intelligence technology — with the help of trained experts, of course.

Since 15-year-old Sydney's a competitive BMX rider, she updated her arm prosthetic so that it lights up to intimidate competitors.

Photo courtesy of Andrea Howard.

This was her second year doing the workshop, and since she's now quite proficient in 3D printing, she was asked to be a mentor as well as an inventor during the June Superhero Boost workshop in San Francisco.

"The thing that I like as a parent is that they want kids to think on their own and be themselves," says Audrey, Sydney's mom.

Sydney's currently ranked seventh in her state in her age group for BMX, and her handle bar was custom made to support her prosthetic, so she wanted to make it stand out in a major way. When she learned Google engineers were going to be at the workshop teaching kids how to incorporate AI, she knew that had to be part of her design.

Thanks to help from Google engineers and staff from both Superhero Boost and Autodesk, the company that held the workshop and offered up their plethora of tech tools, she got her modification to work by the end of the week.

"The [engineers] are like little kids," remarks Sydney. "It's quite fun. They get so excited."

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Kenzie created something entirely different — a robotic arm sleeve with a glowing gem that even Iron Man would envy.

Kenzie actually came up with the idea at a one-day workshop she did with Superhero Boost in Boston, near her hometown, but she really got to flesh it out during the most recent weeklong workshop in San Francisco.

While in the end, it wasn't totally what she'd envisioned, it still looked pretty darn cool.

"I was like, 'It's going to have to shoot something or do something,'" says Kenzie. "It ended up just lighting up. It did a thing — not a fantastic thing — but it did something."

She devised the whole modification on the computer in something called Tinkercad, a computer-aided design (CAD) program that allows you to 3D print your creations. Kenzie had to do some futzing with the voice control aspect of the project, which initially failed to function correctly, but eventually she and her engineer helper figured it out.

This experience is about much more than making awesome gadgets, though: It's also helping these kids see that they really can do anything they set their minds to with technology at their disposal.

Kenzie and Sydney working at the Superhero Boost workshop.

For example, Kenzie was blown away by a wheelchair booster that her friend Anaiss made — it literally lifts her wheelchair higher, which is not only super cool, but also legitimately useful.

These kids are also taking skills with them that will likely be instrumental in whatever career they end up choosing.

Kenzie, for one, is looking to go into toy design, and thanks to the workshop, she's already connecting the dots to that dream. "One lady at the end was talking about how she's going to be working on this augmented reality project, and that she wanted to work with me on that," she says.

What's more, everyone who participated gets to keep working with a professional designer on their prototypes to make them as cool as they can be.

But while all these tools are great, the real superpowers come from the kids themselves.

The kids from the most recent Superhero Boost workshop.

"By nature, these kids are incredibly creative and determined," writes Gamin. "They're having to adapt every day to an environment that was not designed for them, and it's on them to figure out how to adapt."

However, since the most formidable beings are the most adaptable, there's no doubt these kids are going to be unstoppable.

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