Jon Scores THREE Baskets at Special Olympics Basketball! 🏀💛
Some moments as a parent stop you in your tracks. Watching our son with Down syndrome compete in Special Olympics basketball for the first time — this is one of them. Jon Scores THREE Baskets is not an exaggeration. This kid went out there and absolutely delivered.
Our son Jonathan has Down syndrome and is one of the most joyful, determined, and loving people you will ever meet. He calls basketball “hoops” and has been talking about playing Special Olympics basketball for as long as we can remember. His friends call him Jon — and on the court, Jon is unstoppable.
This video is from his first Special Olympics basketball competition. Jonathan is on the skills team and watching him compete was one of the proudest moments of our entire lives as a family.
He scored THREE baskets.
Three.
Special Olympics basketball has been a perfect fit for Jonathan — and as a Down syndrome family we couldn’t be more grateful for this program and everything it means to our kids.
We cheered so loud. We cried happy tears. We watched him smile that smile that only Jonathan can smile — the one that makes your whole heart feel full.
Jonathan reminds us every single day that there are no limits on joy, no limits on determination, and absolutely no limits on what our kids can do when they are loved, supported, and given the chance to shine.
We are so proud of you Jonathan. Keep shooting those hoops. And if you want to read more of his story, check out Jon’s full adoption story — it will leave you with a full heart. 🏀💛
Jon Scores THREE Baskets — About the Longstreth Family
Welcome to the Longstreth family! Stephanie and Jason have been married for 33 years and together they are raising five incredible kids — four of whom came to them through adoption, a cause that is deeply close to their hearts. One of their children has Down syndrome and some special medical needs, and advocating for that community is a passion they share proudly. Jason is a preacher, an elder, and a college professor. Stephanie is a stay at home mom and the heartbeat of this household. Life in the Longstreth home is big, busy, beautiful, and never boring — and they love sharing it with you!
More Jonathan Moments You’ll Love
- A Day in the Life of Our Sweet Son Jon — Down Syndrome, Big Heart, Best Life — an ordinary day with Jon is anything but ordinary, and I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it.
- Esophageal Atresia, Two Years Later: Jon’s Check-Up and Why We’re So Thankful — two years after his big surgery, this check-up left my heart so full.
- Jonathan’s Last Buddy Baseball Game of the Season — Three Hits and a Home Run — three hits, a home run, and one very proud mama cheering from the stands.
- Jon’s Adoption Story — Down Syndrome, Big Surgery, and the Baby Who Changed Everything — the full story of how Jon came to our family, the surgeries he survived, and why we are endlessly grateful every single day.
- Buddy Baseball Hits — Jon Knocks It Out of the Park! — three at-bats, three hits, and a lunch at Jason’s Deli with his Buddy. This kid does not do anything halfway.
- Jonathan’s First Hit of the Season — Opening Day with the Cyclones — sixteen seasons of Buddy Baseball, one incredible comeback, and a swing that will stay with us forever.
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