New Texas Ranger player Jake Burger recently honored his newborn daughter in a big way, changing his jersey to number 21 to draw awareness to her diagnosis of Trisomy 21, more commonly known as Down syndrome.
Penelope was born on October 25, and though Burger and his wife Ashlyn were told beforehand that she would likely have Down syndrome, he told PEOPLE that they weren’t worried about the diagnosis.
“Our initial thought on learning about her diagnosis was simple, we just looked at each other and I had said to Ash, ‘Okay, and?'” he said. “Life isn’t meant to be easy, it’s meant to be fulfilling and this is God’s way of doing just that.”
“Grieving for us was not about her diagnosis, it was about how we felt that having Down syndrome shouldn’t limit anyone’s capabilities in life,” he added. “What seems as an insurmountable obstacle usually becomes one of the biggest blessings, but it’s hard to see that amidst all the ‘differents,’ how she navigates the world will be different, how she looks will be different, how her needs will be different, how we help her become the best version of herself will be different, how she makes friends will be different, all those little things you usually don’t think twice about.”
.@Burgatron13's daughter, Penelope, was born on October 25 with Down syndrome.
Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra copy of chromosome 21.
Jake will wear No. 21 this season for the first time in his career as… pic.twitter.com/Mzvc2YEGvD
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) January 18, 2025
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He hopes his jersey number will help bring awareness to the condition that has impacted his family’s life.
“For me, this is the first time I can pick a number that’s not just close to my heart, but close to a lot of people’s hearts. And for me, it’s trying to spread awareness and try to get the word out about Down syndrome and how people can get support. I’m just really proud of this number and really excited to wear this and represent my daughter, but also so many people out there,” Burger said.
The couple is also in the process of starting a Down syndrome foundation to help families who have received the diagnosis.
“We’re really excited to push that forward and help as many families as we can,” he said.
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