When someone says “influencer,” there’s a chance that a lot of people will imagine the same thing.
Fit bodies, impeccable fashion sense, pretty and presentable, and maybe a little bit quirky.
A family challenged that perception when their twins won the internet over with their charming personalities.
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But unlike those with legions of followers, these two are special.
They are 3-year-old twins who have been raising awareness for Down syndrome.
Meet Charlie and Milo McConnel.
They are widely and more famously known as “Chuckles” and “Meatloaf” which is their Instagram handle.
It’s a nod to their nicknames when they were still infants.
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Charlie and Milo are identical twins who love doing things together.
According to Julie McConnel, their mom, the two didn’t really start off as these adorable identical souls.
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Charlie was born a pound bigger.
Meanwhile, Milo had to spend three weeks in neonatal care after undergoing an operation that fixed a kink in his intestines.
Now, Milo had caught up with his brother.
Julie shared that they made the twins’ page to share awareness.
She recalled having a hard time wrapping her thoughts about the boys’ future when the diagnosis came in.
She was afraid that she and her husband are not up to the task of raising these beautiful boys.
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To calm her doubts and insecurities, she go on to social media and looked for parents just like her.
This led her to a pair of twins in Scotland.
More than the awareness, she also wanted to share the realities of raising the twins.
“Unless you have a lot of experience in your life with people with Down syndrome, it can really be a blow because that unknown is scary. You feel like you’ve lost the future you imagined you were going to have,” Julie told TODAY.
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Yes, things can always be fun and loving. But things can be frustrating and challenging as well.
However, thanks to the support of different families who were following their journey, the family triumphs over the days with dull rainbows and few butterflies.
Their pages are filled with snapshots of their stories and families who can relate to their struggle comment and participate.
Julie said that the page is a way of giving back to the community.
She wanted other parents to have that safe and non-judging space that she enjoyed when she was just starting out.
Now, looking back, she said that she wanted to tell her past pregnant self that things are going to be okay and that she should waste time being sad and afraid.
“It’s a very normal process to go, but when you come out the other side, you realize, I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.”
“I’m so thankful for my life the way that it is, with all the joy to be found, and the stress, just like with any child,” Julie told TODAY.
The twins’ Instagram account has 21,000 followers and over 9,000 followers on Facebook. And we know that this adorable duo is just getting started.
Watch how these two adorable kids with Down syndrome became an inspiration on social media.
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