We were lucky to catch up with Ann Poirier recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ann thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about how you identified some of your key partners/vendors and how you made those relationships work?
No matter what industry you’re in, there are likely other people in the same field or similar fields who you can benefit from and who can benefit from you. Finding key partners, facilities and connections comes down to being open to meeting new people. Meet people, let them introduce you to other people and keep the networking going! Eventually you will have a great circle of partners to work with and learn from.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a special needs advocate in Cincinnati, Ohio. My journey began when my daughter Alice was born with Down syndrome on Saint Patrick’s Day of 2018 and we received her diagnosis at birth. This sparked a fire in me to get involved in special needs advocacy so that people would treat Alice with the respect and dignity she deserves. I started a blog and an Instagram account to help spread awareness of Down syndrome and just how much it deserves to be celebrated. Down syndrome is amazing!
Now I serve on the board of GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center of Cincinnati and I also work part-time for Kingdom Inclusion, a faith-based nonprofit organization that hosts events for teens and adults with special needs.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal and mission every day is to get more people familiar with Down syndrome. Sometimes there is a stigma around Down syndrome and I want to help break through that. I write my blog and Instagram account to help change minds, hearts and perspectives — so that if YOU get a Down syndrome diagnosis for your child, you’ll celebrate it and embrace it instead of fear it.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I began my Instagram account a few weeks after I had my daughter Alice in 2018. Today (in 2025), I have 2,300 followers. My advice for those beginning their social media presence is to be open, transparent and honest. People can see through any fakeness. I tell the real, raw emotions of receiving a Down syndrome diagnosis for my daughter but also how I turned that into an amazing journey. I also recommend tagging your posts appropriately. I tag all of my posts with #downsyndrome and #thelucky few, which are tags that a lot of new Down syndrome parents search. Then, they find my page and follow me. It’s an honor to be a place where they can see an amazing little girl with Down syndrome and feel their fears subside.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wonderlandmommy.blogspot.com
- Instagram: wonderlandmommyblog