Morgan Wheeler is a planner, so a daughter arriving three weeks early wasn't part of the plan. Amy was born March 17, 2022, and was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. Three days later she was flown to Batson Children's Hospital in Jackson for intestinal surgery, and a heart repair in New Orleans followed that August. Morgan was Allen Beverages' marketing manager at the time. She and her husband, Tyler, went looking for other parents right away. They announced Amy's birth on World Down Syndrome Day, 3/21, and the families who answered are now some of their closest friends. Today Amy's four and runs everywhere, and Morgan serves on the board of the Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society The conversation starts in the beverage business. Morgan learned the trade riding routes for Brown Bottling in Jackson and stocking walk-in coolers at 5 AM, and she still can't walk past a store cooler without checking how it's faced. Then she walks through the months after Amy's birth: the follow-ups, getting into Mississippi's First Steps program for speech, physical and occupational therapy, and why the smallest milestones got the biggest celebrations. She also explains the Buddy Walk, the society's biggest fundraiser of the year. It's a short loop, not a 5K, and every buddy gets a trophy or medal at the finish. This year's walk is Saturday, October 17, at Centennial Plaza in Gulfport, with the walk at noon. Register for The 2026 Buddy Walk at gcdss.org. 3 Key Takeaways 1. Start therapies early Morgan's first piece of advice to any parent of a child with Down syndrome, or any different ability, is early intervention. In Mississippi, children under three can get speech, physical and occupational therapy through the state's First Steps program. Amy started once she was cleared after heart surgery, took her first steps a little after two, and hasn't slowed down since. 2. Other parents are the best resource The Wheelers left the hospital with pamphlets and books, but Morgan says they've learned the most from other parents. One post on World Down Syndrome Day connected them with families in Gulfport and Biloxi who are now close friends. One of those friends is the reason they found First Steps. 3. The Buddy Walk is a celebration, not a race The walk is one short loop. The day is built around games, face painting, crafts and team tents like Amy's Army. It's open to all ages and abilities, and it's the Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society's biggest fundraiser of the year. This year it's Saturday, October 17, at Centennial Plaza, with the walk at noon. Show Overview 00:00 Welcome and Morgan Wheeler's introduction 00:56 Meeting Tyler at Gulfport High after Katrina 02:06 Working with Andrew's wife, Carmen, at BCBG 03:37 Landing at Brown Bottling in Jackson 04:24 How the beverage business changes the way you shop 07:41 How soda brands end up in movies 08:46 Joining Allen Beverages in 2018 10:16 Teaching customers what Allen Beverages sells 11:05 Alani Nu, Poppi and brands changing hands 13:41 Amy's birth and Down syndrome diagnosis 14:49 A helicopter flight to Batson in Jackson 15:26 Three weeks in the NICU and a heart defect at six weeks 16:27 Heart surgery in New Orleans 17:57 Checking one thing at a time 19:59 Announcing Amy on World Down Syndrome Day 21:29 The good side of social media 23:03 Life after heart surgery 23:50 Early intervention through First Steps 25:25 Start therapies as early as you can 26:33 Getting involved with the Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society 27:24 Three girls under seven 28:17 What the Buddy Walk is 29:56 October 17 at Centennial Plaza 31:37 A workplace that really is family 33:23 Where to sign up 33:39 Advice for parents starting out 34:59 Walk times and the awards ceremony
