Mac Bartgis Steps Up To Lead Down Syndrome Walk

When Mac Bartgis wants to do something, there’s a good chance he’s going to find a way to do it.

The 11-year-old Severna Park resident has Down syndrome, but that has never stopped him from filling his days with school, sports, clubs, friends and plenty of other activities.

“I can do it,” Mac said. And he usually does.

This year, Mac carried that determination into one of his biggest leadership roles yet.

On October 24, as captain of Team Mac Attack, Mac co-chaired the Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk, an annual fundraiser and walk supporting the Down Syndrome Association of Maryland (DSAmd).

It’s a role Mac happily embraced, and this year’s theme – “My Life, My Choices” – was especially fitting given the way Mac approaches his own life.

Asked if he was excited about the responsibility, Mac didn’t hesitate. “Of course,” he said.

This year, he enjoyed walking at the front of the event and, perhaps just as importantly, getting his face painted.

“I think that ‘My Life, My Choices’ and (DSAmd) asking him to be the chair this year fits perfectly with who he is, because he sets goals for himself, and he accomplishes them,” said Samantha Bartgis, Mac’s mom. “It’s really inspiring to me as his mother – and I think to people around us as well.”

For Mac and his family, however, advocating for inclusion isn’t limited to one walk or one day of the year. It is something Mac demonstrates throughout his everyday life in Severna Park.

A fifth grader at Benfield Elementary School, Mac has participated in the school’s variety show, sung in the chorus, and joined STEM Club – activities that keep parents Samantha and Michael just a little busy.

He has been a Cub Scout since kindergarten and has played a variety of Green Hornets sports since first grade. Mac also participates in boxing and dance club and takes ukulele lessons. This year, he wanted to add strings to an already-packed schedule.

His school found a way to make it happen, suggesting violin because some of the skills Mac has developed playing ukulele could translate to the new instrument.

For Samantha, it was another example of a community that includes Mac without lowering expectations for him. He participates, learns and contributes alongside his peers, with additional time or support when he needs it.

Mac is particularly passionate about sports. Asked to name his favorite, he quickly answered, “Soccer.”

Not long ago, while playing Green Hornets soccer, Mac asked to play goalie shortly after taking a ball to the head during practice. Samantha was nervous when his coach agreed to put him in goal during a game, but Mac’s teammates had a plan.

“Protect Mac! Protect Mac!” they called to one another as they worked to keep the ball away from their goal.

Mac’s willingness to put himself out there extends beyond athletics.

Last year, after participating in groups in prior school variety shows, Mac decided he wanted the stage to himself and planned to play his ukulele to Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars” and dance.

At dress rehearsal, the curtains opened and Mac froze. By showtime, he was still nervous, and he asked his mom to come onstage with him. She told him this was his show and he could do it.

And do it, he did.

Samantha said Mac seems to connect with everyone he encounters, from teachers and students at Benfield to neighbors, teammates and friends throughout the community. That ability to connect with people has also made him a natural advocate for people with Down syndrome.

Mac and his mom have walked through their neighborhood introducing themselves to neighbors, sharing facts about Down syndrome and dispelling misconceptions. This spring, in recognition of World Down Syndrome Day, the two visited Brightview Senior Living on Jumpers Hole Road for a meet-and-greet with residents.

For Mac, inclusion is part of his everyday life. Samantha noted that Mac has a community where he is known, valued and able to contribute.

“I know that the people in the community are looking out for him and his friends, and he knows everybody,” she said. “Everybody is aware that Mac is there.”

She is grateful for the friends, classmates, teachers, coaches and others who support her son, but she has also seen how much Mac gives back to them.

In school, Mac’s close friend Paul Nowottnick helps him navigate the day when needed. Paul is “truly another gift from the community,” Samantha said. But the friendship is not one-sided.

When Mac worried that he would be bad at strings because he was a beginner, Paul reassured him.

“Don’t worry,” Paul told him. “You’re just going to be a beginner. We’ll just practice, and you’ll get better.”

Later, Paul complained that he was “trash” at putt-putt.

Mac immediately returned the advice. “Don’t worry,” he told his friend. “We’ll just practice, and you’ll get better.”

It’s a lesson Mac demonstrates simply by being himself: Inclusion isn’t only about what a community can do for someone. Sometimes, it’s about recognizing everything that person is already doing for the community.