Waukesha mom shares Ollie's story; life with her son who has Down syndrome
Waukesha mom shares Ollie's story
When you think of a social media influencer, you probably think of 'get ready with me' videos, Amazon dupes, and travel reels. But one Waukesha mom is using Instagram to share with the world something a little more personal – life with a baby who has Down syndrome.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - When you think of a social media influencer, you probably think of 'get ready with me' videos, Amazon dupes, and travel reels. But one Waukesha mom is using Instagram to share with the world something a little more personal – life with a baby who has Down syndrome.
Life with Ollie
What we know:
Elise Niess-Uribe transforms 8-month-old Ollie’s cozy little nursery into a studio. It's a place that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary, proving the little things in life are actually, the best things in life.
"I’ll post a video of Ollie eating for the first time, and I’ll get a message of, 'Oh my goodness!'" explained Niess-Uribe. "It’s always amazing to me the things people respond to."
Through her Instagram page, @olliesmomadvocates, Elise gives her thousands of followers a look at life with a baby who has Down syndrome, through the lens of her iPhone.
What inspired this?
What they're saying:
It's an idea inspired by other accounts she discovered after receiving Ollie’s prenatal diagnosis; looking for support and information about the genetic condition she and her husband previously knew little about.
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"In the beginning, I found a few accounts and then soon I was like, ‘Oh, there’s another one, and another one.' So, there are a lot of us out there," explained Niess-Uribe. "And then it kind of snowballed from there where it was like, ‘I’m going to start posting and sharing our journey too.’"
Elise Niess-Uribe
Everyday moments
Dig deeper:
From trips to Target, to doctor's appointments, Ollie and Elise bring us along for a ride that isn’t always easy, like when she received the news her son would need surgery to repair a hole in his heart.
"You’re going to have the challenging times and just because something is challenging or hard doesn’t mean it’s bad, and then the other emotion is so much joy," explained Elise. "I cannot even explain all the joy that Oliver brings to our lives."
Unlike most other influencers, Elise does not get paid for any of her posts, but the reward she receives instead, is priceless.
"At least once a day there’s someone in my DMs who tells me about their prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, and that's the whole reason I do this, to be there for them," said Niess-Uribe.
Special needs community
Local perspective:
More than anything, Elise hopes her daily content appeals as much to those who do have a connection to the special needs community, as it does to those who don’t.
Just as social media scrolling has become a normal part of our daily lives, Elise hopes seeing people like her son on their feeds becomes normal too, opening people’s hearts and minds to a world that might be a bit different from theirs, but every bit as beautiful.
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"I'm here to be his biggest advocate and scream it from the rooftops that he’s worthy, and that whatever spaces he’s in, he deserves to be in," Niess-Uribe said.
Follow Ollie's mom on social media
What you can do:
You can follow along with Elise and Ollie's adventures on Instagram and TikTok: @olliesmomadvocates.
World Down Syndrome Day is set for Saturday, March 21.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by interviews with Elise Niess-Uribe.