Stefan and Jennifer Bridenbaugh are still getting to know Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, but they already feel a strong connection to her.

They, too, have a child with Down syndrome, a genetic condition that occurs in one of every 733 live births. An estimated 400,000 Americans have it.

"It brings great hope with her having a child with Down syndrome that it will bring a spotlight to some positive aspects," said Jennifer Bridenbaugh, whose husband is president of the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association.

The Bridenbaughs, who live on a Clay Twp. farm, found out that their oldest child, Michael, 11, had Down syndrome after he was born.

Stefan Bridenbaugh said they've never held back their son by telling him he couldn't do certain things.

Their hope was boosted when the boy, at age 3, figured out how to open the child safety lock on the front door.

Doors once shut to generations of children have been unlocked through the help of early intervention programs for preschoolers; physical, speech and developmental therapies; and school district strategies that work to find the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities.

"It's made a huge difference," said Sheila Hebein, executive director of the National Association for Down Syndrome.