Beauty queen, 18, with Down syndrome who was told by doctors that she may never learn to speak wins legions of fans by documenting her heartwarming journey online
- Kayla Kosmalski, 18, was crowned as Miss Delaware Teen USA 2024
- She has been extremely outspoken about the difficulties she's faced on TikTok
- Her honesty and positivity has earned her a vast legion of fans online
An 18-year-old beauty queen with Down syndrome who was told by doctors that she may never learn to speak has become a viral TikTok sensation for documenting her heartwarming journey online.
Kayla Kosmalski, from Middleton, Delaware, is determined to prove that 'people with Down syndrome belong on every stage and every space.'
And the teen did just that when she made history by becoming the first person with the condition to hold any state title in the Miss USA/Miss Universe organization after she was crowned as Miss Delaware Teen USA earlier this year.
Kayla has been extremely outspoken about the difficulties that she's faced over the years - and the extra measures she has had to take to prepare for the competition.
Her mom, Amy Kosmalski, often shares videos of the teen discussing her genetic disorder on TikTok, and her honesty and positivity has earned her a vast legion of fans online.
An 18-year-old beauty queen with Down syndrome who was told by doctors that she may never learn to speak has become a viral TikTok sensation for documenting her journey online
Kayla Kosmalski, from Middleton, Delaware, is determined to prove that 'people with Down syndrome belong on every stage and every space'
In one now-viral clip, Amy revealed that 'experts' told them that Kayla may never talk when she was a little, and now, she confidently speaks on stage at pageants to hundreds of audience members.
'Not only does she speak well in English, but she has taught herself Spanish through singing,' her mom added, alongside a video that showed the pageant queen dancing and singing along to the song Tomame.
'She then translates and learns the words in English. She can also communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing community using ASL.
'She works hard every single day to prove those people wrong and to prove to herself and the world that she can do anything.
'Anything is possible when you believe in yourself and work hard to achieve your goals.'
'Morale of the story, don't listen to the limiting beliefs of others,' Amy concluded in the TikTok, which has been viewed a whopping 15.8 million times.
'Don't allow your excuses or naysayers to speak louder than your goals.'
In another video, Kayla revealed that she underwent 'countless hours' of both speech and physical therapy to accomplish 'basic things that come natural to most' like walking and talking.
And the teen did just that when she became the first person with the condition to hold any state title in the Miss USA organization. She's seen at the Miss Teen USA competition last week
Kayla has been extremely outspoken about the difficulties that she's faced over the years - and the extra measures she has had to take to prepare for the competition
Her mom, Amy Kosmalski, often shares videos of the teen discussing her genetic disorder on TikTok, and her honesty and positivity has earned her a vast legion of fans online
In another video, Kayla revealed that she underwent 'countless hours' of both speech and physical therapy to accomplish 'basic things that come natural to most' like walking and talking.
'People have been asking me how I'm preparing for Miss Teen USA. The truth is, I've been preparing my whole life,' she said.
'Countless hours of speech therapy and physical therapy, working hard to learn basic things that come natural to most.
'I've worked hard to prove to myself and the world that people with Down syndrome belong on every stage and every space.
'We shouldn't have to prove our worth but often times we do. As Miss Teen USA, I will show the world that everyone belongs.'
Kayla also shared a message to her haters, adding, 'Being kind is far greater than bullying. The only disability in life is a bad attitude.'
Kayla told People magazine recently that she has been participating in pageants at age five, and instantly fell in love.
'I like to show my passion, my energy, my attitude,' she gushed. 'I just love pageants.
'I want to show the world that people with Down syndrome can do anything. I want to show little girls that they can dream big.'
Kayla told People magazine recently that she has been participating in pageants at age five, and instantly fell in love
Kayla, who graduated high school in May and is heading to Wilmington University for college in the fall, is also an avid cheerleader and swimmer
Back in 2015, she and her family helped get a new law passed that allowed disabled people to create tax-advantaged accounts, and she got to meet then-Vice-President Joe Biden afterwards
She was crowned as Miss Delaware Teen USA 2024 in late April, and recently competed in the Miss Teen USA competition.
While she didn't win the latter, she was given the special title of Miss Congeniality at the event.
'[I got it] because I love everything about myself,' she gushed. 'I want to let everyone know to dream big, be brave, be strong, be yourself and keep shining brightly.'
Kayla, who graduated high school in May and is heading to Wilmington University for college in the fall, is also an avid cheerleader and swimmer.
She was chosen as the 2024 ambassador for the non-profit Hearts of Joy International, which 'helps children with Down syndrome reach their full potential in life by granting access to open heart surgery,' per its website.
Back in 2015, she and her family helped get a new law passed that allowed disabled people to create tax-advantaged accounts, and she got to meet then-Vice-President Joe Biden afterwards.
