Georgia boy with Down syndrome chosen as 2018 Gerber baby

Meet Lucas from Dalton, Georgia — that smiling baby made history by being the first child with Down syndrome to be named a Gerber Spokesbaby.

The announcement was made Wednesday morning on the Today show, and Gerber President and CEO Bill Partyka said it was “Lucas’ winning smile and joyful expression that won [their] hearts this year.”

Lucas’ parents, Cortney and Jason Warren, submitted his picture for the 2018 Spokesbaby contest, and he won out of more than 140,000 entries.

“Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby, and this year, Lucas is the perfect fit,” Partyka said.

The announcement also came with a $50,000 prize, which the Warrens plan to use for Lucas’ education.