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 / Updated / Source: TODAY Contributor 
 
 The 2018 Gerber baby is Lucas Warren, a 1-year-old from Dalton, Georgia who is the first child with Down syndrome to be named a Gerber baby since the contest's start in 2010. “We’re hoping this will impact everyone — that it will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited,” said dad Jason Warren. “They have the potential to change the world, just like everybody else.” 
 
 Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? RELATED VIDEO: Models with Down Syndrome Hit the Runway for a One-of-a-Kind Fashion Show 
 
 Mom Cortney Warren shared that she entered the Gerber contest, which has been held online for the past eight years, without much thought, tagging an adorable photo of Lucas showing off his smile while donning a mint green shirt and bow tie. "He's very outgoing and never meets a stranger," Lucas's mom, Cortney, told TODAY Parents. “He loves to play, loves to laugh and loves to make other people laugh.” 
 
 CEO and president of Gerber Bill Partyka said Lucas’ contagious smile won over the team. “Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby,” he explained. “This year, Lucas is the perfect fit.” 
 
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 RELATED: Meet Riley: The 2017 Gerber Baby! "He may have Down syndrome," said Cortney Warren of her son, "but he's always Lucas first." "He's got an awesome personality and he goes through the milestones of every child... we're hoping when he grows up and looks back on this, he'll be proud of himself and not ashamed of his disability."
– The new face of Gerber represents a milestone. The company has picked 1-year-old Lucas Warren of Dalton, Georgia, as this year's Gerber Baby—and Lucas is the first child with Down Syndrome selected for the honor, reports People. "He never meets a stranger," says mom Cortney, who tells Today.com that she entered the contest without giving it too much thought. Gerber then chose Lucas out of about 140,000 submissions, calling him a "perfect fit." Dad Jason says he hopes the this "will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited."