I am a proud Kansas City native, as is my husband of 12 years. We have 3 beautiful children: Cayden, 12, Mayson, 10, and Farrah, 6. I am the oldest of four girls and am fortunate enough to have them all living close by.
The pursuit of inclusion has been a constant in my life since the age of 11. When I was 11 years old, my mother had my second sister, Halie, who was born with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21. While the diagnosis was presented somberly and with a heaviness that was palpable, I was thrilled to have another baby sister. We had so much to learn, and my mother was steadfast in educating us all. We were on a mission as a family to provide her every opportunity that any “typical” child would have. My mother had made advocates out of all of us and I am forever grateful to have been given that gift. She taught us to see the ability of a child BEFORE the disability.
Our family business, McCarthy Auto Group, is honored to be a sponsor of this wonderful charity and we are thrilled to join Variety’s pursuit of inclusion. To normalize inclusion in all that we do as a community is just priceless. 
