"Everybody that he sees, he touches:" Teen with Down Syndrome inspires community

BURLINGTON (WITI) -- In sports, the greatest athletes are those who make their teammates better. Quinn Boarini has made an entire community better because of his incredible spirit in the face of adversity.

"He lights up every room. Everybody that he sees, he touches. He's just got this soul and spirit about him," Quinn Boarini's mother, Susie Boarini said.

14-year-old Quinn Boarini has a gift. He loves to make people feel special.

The seventh-grader at Karcher Middle School in Burlington has Down Syndrome.

Quinn is Susie Boarini's miracle child.

"He's had four open heart procedures. Two years ago on Valentine's Day, he received full repair of his heart. Before that he was really not able to walk really more than 20 feet without having to sit and rest, and now he is playing basketball, he is running track," Susie Boarini said.

Quinn is inspiring everybody in his path, but it's a two-way street.

"Just to see the community -- and the love for him, and cheering him on in his needs and his abilities, you know, it's awesome -- just awesome to see," Daniel Powers, Quinn Boarini's special aid and track coach said.

"It's been really nice to see how willing everybody at Karcher is to include him in whatever he wants to do. Everyone has been very supportive. They want to make sure that he feels included, and the community and his teammates are supportive as well. He's the fingerprint of God -- and it shows in the community with the way everyone treats him, and how he treats everyone," Karcher Middle School Special Education Teacher Amanda Thate said.

A spiritual woman, Susie Boarini says while pregnant, God told her that Quinn would have challenges. She told that to the doctors, who didn't believe it, because Quinn seemed fine when he was born -- but eventually, he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and all the heart defects.

But Susie Boarini says she wouldn't change a thing about "The Mighty Quinn."

"Quinn has all the attributes that you would want in a child. He is so special and he has special needs, but he is so kind and loving and gentle and forgiving. He's got all the attributes that God would want any child to have, so I wasn't given a defective child -- I was given a perfect child," Susie Boarini said.

Jessica Boarini couldn't agree more. The 18-year-old who will be going to college this fall was inspired by her brother to go into social work.

"To get in, you have to write an essay -- and I wrote it on Quinn. He was just someone who inspired you -- just like everything about him is inspiring and like two years ago, with his heart surgery, it was really hard to go through. That's probably when I made my decision. And Sarah too. She had a big impact when they adopted her," Jessica Boarini said.

Susie Boarini has raised or is raising nine children -- including Sarah, who was adopted into the family when she was seven months old.

Like her big brother Quinn, Sarah has Down Syndrome.

Susie's message for those facing similar circumstances?

"Don't lose hope. Don't see your child as a child with special needs. See them as your child. We learn that life is very precious, and that it can be critical at times. The love that we get from Quinn every day carries us through the next day," Susie Boarini said.