Maddie Hawkins

Hi there,
My name is Maddie Hawkins, and I’m 14 years old. I have lived in Lebanon, Tennessee my whole life. I want to share a little bit about my journey—I was born with Down syndrome and a hole in my heart. While I never had surgery on my heart, I did have a lot of surgeries when I was little on my airway to help me breathe better because I have sleep apnea. I still wear a CPAP machine when I sleep, but I’m doing great now!

I started school when I was just three years old, that’s where I began learning and growing. When I started 2nd grade, I was already rockin inclusion in general education, so I decided to try out my hand at cheerleading. I am in 8th grade now and I have been cheering ever since! It's one of my favorite things to do! By the way, I'm still rockin inclusion in general education and my parents say I will rock it in high school next year too!

I also love to dance. My parents put me in dance classes when I was little, and I LOVED being on stage! I did that for 5 years and it was so fun! You can still catch me dancing to my favorite tunes at home or on the football field with my cheer friends.
In 2018, I got a service dog, and that was such a special moment—it was even featured on People.com and in the newspaper! Zuko is my BFF, and he sleeps with me every night.

One of the most amazing things that ever happened to me was getting a swimming pool from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. That’s when I found out how much I LOVE swimming. And guess what? In 2024, I won my first gold medal in the Special Olympics! I was so happy!

I got to go to the Capitol for Down syndrome Day on the Hill. I met with lawmakers and talked about how important it is to support kids like me. It made me feel proud.

When I grow up, I want to be a baby nurse like my mom. I LOVE babies! If I see a baby, I want to play with it, feed it, or even change its diaper. They make me so happy.

I also love dogs. I can’t walk past a dog without petting it. It’s like the dog is saying, “Maddie, come pet me!” and I just have to!

Thanks for reading my story. I hope it makes you smile!

Love, Maddie Hawkins