The day I saw my daughter for the first time, I knew I was in love. She was the cutest thing anyone had ever seen. After snapping a few photos she was off to NICU for further evaluation. That's when the doctors and nurses pulled me aside to explain Evelyn Grace Martinez may have been born with Trisomy 21. Totally confused, I remember nodding my head as if though I completely understood everything I was being told. It took a few days to really grasp the reality of what she was born with. After riding an emotional rollercoaster for a few weeks, we knew she would need open heart surgery to repair three holes in her baby heart. Six months later, we flew to Children's Hospital in Dallas to take the next step towards her full recovery. Evelyn will be two years old December 18, she has brought nothing but happiness in to our entire family's life. My wife and I are now co-presidents of the Down Syndrome Association of El Paso. Our goal is to provide assistance in any way possible to families that share similar experiences. There is no doubt that Evelyn is the center of attention anywhere we go. She has inspired us to be involved in the community to raise awareness and educate people as much as possible about how special these kids really are. My name is Felipe Martinez and I am a PROUD FATHER of a baby with Down syndrome.