Welcome to the SammyCalls podcast! This episode Sam and Jenna talk about podcasting... head shaving... prom... and so much more! Enjoy! Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome... and more importantly... what it doesn't mean. ________ When Sam and I were little kids, my mom and dad put together an informational pamphlet that was titled "Just Like You" ... I can seriously picture it in my head right now. It was a super late 80's/early 90's inspired design (my parents were in advertising so they knew what they were doing), angled blocks of bright color, and a black and white photo of us on the front. Ugh we were so cute back then. Basically the pamphlet described what Down Syndrome was and described Sam, a kid who was just like your kid. Except for this extra chromosome. Thinking back to this pamphlet kind of gives me that "Oh boy, you're turning into your parents" feeling. I mean, I'm essentially doing the exact same thing on an updated medium with the SammyCalls Podcast. Sam has Down Syndrome, but does that define him as a person? No way! He is stubborn and hilarious and loves his family and dancing and can communicate with dogs better than Cesar Milan. He cries when he is sad and he laughs when he is happy and he shuts down when he is frustrated. Why? Because he is a human being. He is Just. Like. You. Sam has had to face challenges - physically, emotionally and mentally - that I will never understand but that is part of what makes him so special. So listen to this podcast knowing that we are just a brother and a sister, who love each other and miss each other. Know that Sam is competitive. Know that I am pretty much always eating while we are on the phone. Know Down Syndrome in a new way. A way that is just like you.  

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