This Boy Named Lucas Is the First Gerber Baby With Down Syndrome

A boy named Lucas from Dalton, Georgia became the first child with Down syndrome to be chosen as a Gerber baby, the Today show announced on Wednesday.

“Lucas’ winning smile and joyful expression won our hearts this year, and we are all thrilled to name him our 2018 Spokesbaby,” Gerber President and CEO Bill Partyka said in statement. “Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby, and this year, Lucas is the perfect fit.”

Lucas’s parents submitted his picture in a photo contest that drew more than 140,000 applicants; his selection as the 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby also comes with a $50,000 prize, which they plan to put toward his education.

“As a father, seeing your child exceed in life and go to school, it’s something I’m looking forward to,” Lucas’s dad, Jason, said through tears. “I just want him to look back and say, ‘I was the Gerber baby. Look at everything I did.’ ”

Watch Lucas’s story in this clip from Today: