When Jake and Ashlyn Burger of College Grove found out they were having a little girl last year, they were thrilled. Then when they discovered she would have Down syndrome, they were understandably shocked and confused.
“I was 10 weeks pregnant and we were so uneducated at that point,” Ashlyn says. “Most people think that if no one in their family has Down syndrome, then they can’t have a child with Down syndrome.”
She was also worried about how the diagnosis would change their family dynamic. Their son Brooks was only two years old.
“Jake’s levelheadedness kept me calm because he just knew everything was going to be OK, which made me also believe that everything was going to be OK,” she says.
Their family life was already a bit hectic and unconventional. Jake, a Major League Baseball player with the Texas Rangers, was away a lot during the season.
“I thought, ‘Is she going to be able to go to baseball games with the family?’”
On Oct. 25, 2024, Penelope Pearl Burger was born, and their lives certainly changed.
“She’s perfect just the way she is,” Jake says. “Every morning when she wakes up and sees either one of us, she gets the biggest smile on her face and it just warms our hearts. She’s also very sassy and she’ll let us know if she doesn’t like something.”
Big brother Brooks is very protective of his little sister.
“No one’s allowed to hold her unless they ask his permission first,” Ashlyn says. “It’s been really incredible as a parent to see how your older child, especially a little boy, is just so protective of his little sister.”
While Penelope did have to undergo open-heart surgery, the family has continued doing everything they used to do.
“Having a second child is always an incredible transition. We take her to baseball games and she just sleeps through the later innings. I don’t know if she’s going to want to watch when she gets older since it apparently bores her now,” Ashlyn says, laughing.
Jake is the only active MLB player with a child who has Down syndrome. It's important to the couple, who met in 2021 and married in 2022, to let other families know that a Down syndrome diagnosis is not as scary as it might seem.
“It’s been very special to have Penelope,” Ashlyn says.
Before and after Penelope’s birth, the support from the Rangers, friends, family and the community was incredible. Now, they want to ensure other families facing the same diagnosis receive that same support.
“After being blessed with Penelope, we’ve had access to a lot of resources that many people don’t have,” Jake says. “We kind of felt like there was a calling from God to use our platform for the greater good of the community.”
On March 21, World Down Syndrome Day, they announced the launch of The Burger Family Foundation, a College Grove-based organization focused on giving back to the community that’s been there for them.
“It’s a two-pronged approach,” Jake says. “The first is Pen’s Pearls, which will directly give back to the community monetarily—whether that’s a family that needs help with therapy bills, medical bills or maybe even a babysitter who specializes in caring for children with Down syndrome. This way, parents can have some time to just be spouses to each other.”
Support may also include funding for educational resources, camps and anything else a family might need to improve their lives and those of their children.
“For example, there are several organizations that offer great special needs summer camps, and if a family needs help paying tuition, then we’d love to put their child into that program,” Jake says.
The second goal of the foundation is to establish The Lucky Ranch, a place where children can receive occupational, physical and other therapies.
“The ranch will have all sorts of animals, different types of plants and more,” he said. “We want it to be an oasis, in a sense, for families with children or adults with Down syndrome.”
The couple believes being outdoors and connecting with nature is vitally important.
“Brooks is always in a better mood when he’s been outside for a couple of hours,” Ashlyn says.
Jake, who once played for the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins, comes from a long line of turkey farmers on his father’s side. He understands the value of time spent outdoors.
“I remember being on the family farm in southern Indiana over the summers. It just felt awesome being outside and being with the animals,” he says. “For me, this is a way I’m using my family’s history to help as many people as possible.”
The couple also hopes the ranch can serve as a place to employ adults with Down syndrome, autism and other disabilities.
“Whether that’s being a ranch hand on the farm or working in a farm-to-table restaurant, we want to give them that opportunity,” Jake says.
The reaction to The Burger Family Foundation has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The Rangers have been incredible in trying to get us as much support as possible,” Jake says. “It’s also been amazing seeing the love and support not only from the Down syndrome community, but also from people all across the country.”
Donations can be made through the foundation’s website, where people can also purchase apparel featuring “Burger 21.” Jake chose to wear No. 21 in recognition of Trisomy 21, the extra chromosome that causes Down syndrome.
Families and individuals in need of assistance can apply through an online application process on the website.
“Like a traditional grant system, applications will go before a board and they will vote,” Jake says.
He added: “We’re kind of standing on the shoulders of giants—Best Buddies, GiGi’s Playhouse, BrightStone and The Brett Boyer Foundation—all these incredible organizations and foundations that came before us.”
Jake is grateful that Tennessee is progressive when it comes to supporting children with disabilities.
“They have great early intervention services that they pay for, but sometimes there are extras that aren’t covered by the state or personal insurance,” he says.
Ashlyn explained that children with Down syndrome have a high occurrence of certain medical conditions, including congenital heart disease and hearing loss.
When she speaks about their mission, Ashlyn gets emotional.
“I see a different side than Jake gets to see because I’m sitting in the stands when he’s playing. So many people come up to me and say thank you for being so vocal about how incredible our children are,” she says. “I feel really blessed that God chose us to have this job and to have given us Penelope. It’s an unexpected beauty—having a child with Down syndrome. It’s a calling, not just a chromosome.”
BurgerFamilyFoundation.org