Hello!
Welcome to Chrome 21, a retail store dedicated especially to people with Down syndrome and other special needs, and those who love them. Founded by Mike and Tammy, parents of daughter Nicole who has Down syndrome. We want to celebrate with our customers the joy of having a child with special needs.
Joining the Club
In 2009, my husband and I received the unexpected and stark diagnosis that our unborn baby had Down syndrome. The news was overwhelming at first, but many people cheerfully welcomed me into the special “Down syndrome club,” the sort of club that only a parent of a loved one with Down syndrome fully understands. It’s a club where we develop an appreciation and witness the unique gifts, talents, beauty, and pure love these special humans bring to their family and the world. We quickly fall in love with these individuals, and feel a deeper appreciation for humanity and empathy towards others. We embrace the difference and actually LOVE it even more!
With early intervention and a great deal of hard work, we watched Nicki grow and hit the majority of her milestones. At times, we needed to find the right OT toys for cognitive processing or therapy items to help her strengthen her low muscle tone. Even drinking from a sippy cup had its difficulties, and we had to search out certain cups that strengthened muscles so she could suck from a straw. There were many products that helped us along the way, and we would like to provide many of them in our store at some point.
Our intent with this website is to bring products to the forefront that bring a positive light to our special loved ones. We want to make this special club the COOLEST club for people with Down syndrome, and to build a brand that is uniquely specific to the loved ones we cherish so much, and for those who take care and love them. So take a look around, check out all our products, and enjoy being part of this unique club!
Love,
Mike, Tammy, Sarah & Nicki
P.S. If you have a specific product you are looking for or have a graphic tee idea send us a message with the details! We are happy to accommodate! Contact Us.
Chrome 21 donates 10% of our profit made from all our awareness apparel to the West Michigan Down Syndrome Association.
