Moore girl goes viral after photo showcased in Times Square

Natalie Clydesdale/KFOR
·2 min read

MOORE, Okla. (KFOR) – A 1-year-old from Moore has gone viral on social media after being featured in a Down Syndrome Awareness campaign in New York City last month.

“It was just amazing,” said Lori Orr.

Orr is Olivia Chandler’s mother. She told KFOR she was scrolling on Facebook one day back in April, when she stumbled upon an application for the National Down Syndrome Society’s Times Square Video Presentation and decided to enter Olivia.

Orr said she figured her daughter would be a shoo-in because of her irresistible smile.

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“Everywhere we go, people say, you know, her smile makes me smile,” said Orr.

The annual presentation drew in about 2,400 entries from around the world. Those selected get their picture featured in an hour-long jumbotron presentation in the Big Apple.

“I entered her picture and then, you know, we waited and waited and waited,” said Orr.

Original photograph taken by Lora Scantling with Scantling Photography in Bethany.

After four months of waiting, Orr finally found out her one-year-old was picked.

“I was just like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” said Orr. “As soon as we got the email, we were like, ‘We’re booking our flights right away. We’re going to go see this.’”

Without hesitation the family of four took off to New York.

Olivia Chandler and family. Image courtesy Lori Orr.
Olivia Chandler and family. Image courtesy Lori Orr.
Olivia Chandler. Image courtesy Lori Orr.
Olivia Chandler. Image courtesy Lori Orr.
Olivia Chandler. Image courtesy Lori Orr.
Olivia Chandler. Image courtesy Lori Orr.

At last month’s presentation Olivia was beaming ear to ear per usual. The day also included a buddy walk through Central Park.

“Inclusion is so big in the Down Syndrome community, you know, just seeing those kids on that big screen, you know, promoting Down Syndrome it was just amazing,” said Orr.

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Olivia is always so unbelievably happy despite having had an extremely challenging road. Orr said her daughter spent about 7 months out of her first year in the hospital and has already undergone heart surgery. Being picked to be recognized in Times Square was exactly the kind of news the family needed.

“Something finally positive has happened over the last year, and, you know, it just felt great,” said Orr.

Olivia Chandler. Image courtesy Lori Orr.
Olivia Chandler. Image courtesy Lori Orr.

The picture of Olivia in front of the jumbotron has gone viral on Facebook. At last check it had more than 255,000 likes.

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