The 7-year-old is what her mom calls "a little ambassador."
7-year-old Sofia Sanchez is showing the world that Down syndrome isn’t something to be afraid of.
In a video that has more than 15,000 views on Instagram, Sofia’s mom, Jennifer Sanchez, asks the little girl “Little miss, do you have Down syndrome?”
“Yes I do have Down syndrome,” Sofia replies. “It’s something that’s in my blood — it goes down.”
“Is Down syndrome scary?” Jennifer asks.
“No, it’s not scary, it’s so exciting,” Sofia responds.
Jennifer said she came up with the idea for the video when she was sitting in Sofia’s room and wanted to do something different to spread awareness for Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
Jennifer sat down with Sofia and asked her the questions, and the rest is history.
“I had no idea that she would have the most hilarious and perfect response. It was matter of fact. You can’t have a bad day when you watch that video. She’s advocating for herself and people with disabilities,” Jennifer told InsideEdition.com. “She’s a perfect little ambassador.”
Jennifer has three biological sons, one of whom also has Down syndrome, and adopted Sofia from Ukraine when she was just 16 months old.
The decision wasn’t something the family had planned.
They decided to donate to Reece’s Rainbow, an adoption ministry that helps raise money and connects abandoned children with families, and ending up falling in love with Sofia through a photo on the organization's website.
That Christmas, Jennifer received an ornament with Sofia’s picture on it and she couldn’t get the little girl out of her mind. They took the leap of faith to adopt her.
“I thought, why are we donating and not taking action,” Jennifer said. “So we did. We fundraised more than $28,000 to help with expenses. We made it to the Ukraine and finally brought her home in June of 2010.”
Sofia had it pretty rough at the orphanage in which she was staying, according to Jennifer. The facility was meeting her basic needs, but was lacking on additional care.
“She was very behind. We went to work getting her therapy and within a couple weeks, she was sitting up and starting to crawl and beginning sign language. She was eager to be to be a part of the world. She just needed a family to love her and give her an opportunity,” said Jennifer. “I shudder to think what would have happened to her.”
Read: Students With Down Syndrome Star in Teacher's Wedding: 'It Was a Dream Come True'
And, she certainly brought more light to their family. Her “twin” brother gained a best friend since her 8-year-old brother Joaquin also has Down syndrome.
“They are essentially our twins. Sofia is extremely outgoing and extroverted and he is very soulful and sweet and they balance each other,” said Jennifer. “She’s the princess of the household full of boys.”
Watch: Teen With Down Syndrome Now Cancer-Free After Being Made Honorary Deputy
