{"id":242893,"date":"2021-04-08T15:37:45","date_gmt":"2021-04-08T20:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=242893"},"modified":"2021-04-07T16:29:08","modified_gmt":"2021-04-07T21:29:08","slug":"woman-down-syndrome-reaction-maid-honor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/woman-down-syndrome-reaction-maid-honor\/","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: Woman with Down syndrome reacts with absolute joy when asked to be maid of honor"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chris Garafola has tens of thousands of followers on social media, a successful modeling career, and an upcoming wedding. But what sets him apart from many other influencers is his relationship with his sister, Brittany, who has Down syndrome. The two have a very close bond, and Garafola has always been open about the important role Brittany plays in his life. So Garafola knew his wedding wouldn’t be complete if Brittany wasn’t there \u2014 and her reaction when asked to be maid of honor for the happy couple has gone viral.<\/p>\n

Like countless other families, the Garafola siblings have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In one Instagram post<\/a>, Garafola spoke of how painful it’s been for their family. “I haven\u2019t seen my sister since last October. And once the pandemic hit, I\u2019ve distanced myself from Brittany in order to keep her healthy and safe,” he wrote. “My heart physically hurt not being able to see her and I would have days where I would just randomly break down and cry \u2014 not realizing how much weight I was truly carrying. But I can\u2019t thank God enough, for keeping her healthy.”<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Video of model\u2019s surprise party for sister with Down syndrome goes viral<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

And Brittany’s health was the most important thing for Garafola \u2014 so much so, that after getting engaged to his future bride, Tatiana, the couple decided to wait to have the wedding until Brittany could get her vaccine, as people with Down syndrome are at high risk of dying from COVID-19. Once she had, the couple had an emotional video call with Brittany, letting her know that not only was their wedding going to take place, but that she would be there, as Tatiana’s maid of honor. Brittany’s emotional response has quickly gone viral.<\/p>\n