Dan Proft was joined by Nancy Gianni, Founder and Chief Belief Officer of Gigi’s Playhouse, and her daughter, Gigi Gianni, the organization’s inspiration, to discuss the growth of their international organization and Gigi’s advocacy work. Proft, a board member of Gigi’s Playhouse, highlighted the nonprofit’s unique, decentralized structure, noting that it has grown to 66 locations and startups around the world, including a new satellite in Mexico.
Proft noted an interesting insight from Nancy: people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often spoken for by people who do not have a disability. Nancy and Gigi stressed the importance of allowing directly impacted individuals, like Gigi, to speak for themselves and stand on their own.
Gigi recently performed the National Anthem at the Lucky Classic celebrity softball game in Nashville, sharing that she “killed it.”
Nancy Gianni explained the immense effort behind Gigi’s performance, noting that low muscle tone in individuals with Down syndrome means they must teach their bodies skills that come naturally to others. While Gigi memorized the words to the National Anthem at age four, it took 10 years of speech therapy and practice to develop the articulation, diction, and core strength necessary to belt out the song.
“She believes in this song, she believes in our country, and she worked 10 years to really get that articulation and that diction and that strong core to be able to sing that song,” Nancy said.
Gigi also hosts a podcast with her brother, Franco Gianni, who Nancy noted was foundational to the organization’s mission, having designed the very first Gigi’s Playhouse logo when he was six years old with stick figures holding hands. Nancy views the podcast as another “gift from God” showing the next generation “taking over using their voice for change.”
Proft suggested that podcasting serves as continued practice, similar to singing and speech therapy, helping Gigi to hone her communication skills. Nancy agreed, stressing that people with disabilities are the largest marginalized group globally, yet have the smallest voices.
Gigi is currently on a speaking tour called “Born to Be Heard,” which aims to give a voice to every life. She delivered an excerpt from her speech for the listeners:
“I am a strong, independent woman with Down syndrome. I am not a problem, not as someone to feel sorry for, but as a person with full life, big dreams, and so much love to give… I’m here today to tell you this is the truth: my life does have value, and just my life including those disabilities are important.”
Gigi challenged the audience to choose a world that “chooses love over fear” and sees the good in every person. She pushed back against the notion that a life with disability is not worth living, stating that doctors should be giving parents hope and telling them about people like her, who love deeply and have big dreams.
“Stop telling the world that people like me should not exist. Stop treating Down syndrome like a mistake, because I am not a mistake. I’m a daughter, I’m a friend, I’m a leader, I’m a woman with big dreams and a life worth living,” Gigi concluded.
Nancy explained that the “Born to Be Heard” tour is part of a program to give all of their ambassadors a voice. Gigi is fundraising with a goal of raising one million dollars to ensure that every child has access to free services like speech therapy, and to support new families from prenatal diagnosis all the way through end of life.
The demand for services is high, with 360 new families joining Gigi’s Playhouse every month. In addition to 66 physical locations, they run a Virtual Playhouse serving over 12,000 families across 95 countries, helping combat loneliness and providing programming for adults.
Gigi’s Playhouse offers a multitude of free programs, including: One-on-one tutoring (literacy and math), speech and physical therapy, fitness and cooking programs, and real-world and career skills (Gigi University).
Nancy expressed her pride that Gigi is now standing up to take the organization’s mission forward, defending a population that “deserves to be on this earth that God sent them here to teach and to love.”
The Chicago-area “Born to Be Heard” event will be held this Sunday at the Michigan Shores Club in Wilmette, and information on the event and the organization can be found at Gigisplayhouse.org.