Time for a Change

We decided to partner with Industry Salon to do a makeover! Sharon Carroll Green, a native of Baton Rouge, who currently lives in Denham Springs with her nine-year-old son, Dylan, is our first recipient! After learning she had a heart condition, Sharon started her weight loss journey in 2016. She made decisions and life changes that have helped her lose, so far, a whopping one hundred and twenty pounds!

Her story is inspirational in other ways that far outshine her weight loss though. At the age of thirty-nine she became pregnant, and learned early on in her pregnancy that her baby likely would be born with Down syndrome. Since then, she has become a regular face in several local organizations as well as The Down syndrome awareness group of Baton Rouge, the Special Olympics at Live Oak High School and Challengers Organization in Walker.

If you are near her for long, you’ll hear her say things like, “I really didn’t understand love, true love, until I had Dylan. He loves people the way God intended. No barriers. No judgment.”

Photo: Tiffany Wheat

She knew getting her health under control was important because Dylan needs her. While he may want to live as independently as he can when he’s older, he will still have to have 24-hour caregivers. She knows the road may be long, but she is unafraid.

Admittedly, her first child, Dalton, who she had at twenty-two, was such a blessing to raise that it sometimes made life with Dylan a bit tougher by comparison. She learned early on not to compare the two and gives the same advice to others. Each child is different. Her oldest son has since married and given Sharon a beautiful daughter-in-law, Megan, and two amazing grandchildren, Boogie and Charli Rae.

When we asked her what she would say to anyone about having a child with Down syndrome, she replied, “Embrace it. Don’t let fear allow you to miss out on the blessings that come from seeing life through their eyes. It’s an amazing journey, though challenging at times... but so worth it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world. Dylan is a God-send and truly saved my life.”

BEFORE WEIGHT LOSS

AFTER WEIGHT LOSS

For those of you who are lucky enough to cross her path, you’ll see that Sharon is just as beautiful inside, as she is outside. Sharon has learned to love without limits, something she shares with everyone.

Special thanks to the amazing people at Industry Salon and Sally Beauty.

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW DESERVES A MAKEOVER, PLEASE EMAIL STORY AND PICTURES TO MODERNGRACEMAG@GMAIL.COM.