Isaiah Lombardo

On November 14, Isaiah Lombardo, a 24-year-old Somerville resident with Down syndrome, will be participating in the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s 12th Annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show (“BBBY Fashion Show”).

The marquee event is the largest Down syndrome fundraiser in the world, raising over $20 million for life-saving and life-changing research and medical care to date. During the show, which will be virtual, Isaiah will appear alongside the likes of Jaime Foxx, Quincy Jones, Eric Dane and Caterina Scorsone of Grey’s Anatomy, Matt and Kevin Dillon, Beverly Johnson, John C. McGinley, Zach Gottsagen and more.

Unlike previous years, anyone can tune into the show by purchasing a $25 general admission “virtual ticket,” the funds of which will support the Foundation’s fundraising efforts for Down syndrome research, medical care and emergency COVID-19 relief services for families with children who have Down syndrome.

Isaiah works as a popcorn vendor at Fenway Park for all Red Sox games and as an usher/ticket taker at Boston University’s Agganis Area for concerts and sporting events. As a strong self-advocate, Isaiah speaks at various schools, from elementary to university, about his life with Down syndrome. Throughout the pandemic he has been making music videos and Facebook live events, singing and dancing for his followers. His Bob Marley performance currently has over 3 million views on Facebook.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) is the largest non-profit in the U.S. working to save lives and dramatically improve health outcomes for people with Down syndrome. GLOBAL has donated more than $32 million to establish the first Down syndrome research institute supporting over 400 scientists and over 2,000 patients with Down syndrome from 28 states and 10 countries.

Working closely with Congress and the National Institutes of Health, GLOBAL is the lead advocacy organization in the U.S. for Down syndrome research and medical care. GLOBAL has a membership of over 150 Down syndrome organizations worldwide and is part of a network of Affiliates – the Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Sie Center for Down Syndrome, and the University of Colorado Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center – all on the Anschutz Medical Campus.