TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHR) - A little boy from Indiana has almost died three times and he's only 19 months old.
Yet his photo was selected to be part of a video that will debut in Times Square in New York City.
It's a face that can stop you in your tracks. The smile, the glasses, the t-shirt - "Homie with an Extra Chromie" - look at this and you understand why he was selected.
"He was really cute. I had hoped they would pick him. It is really good for Down syndrome awareness," said Colton Murray's mother, Kim.
Nineteen-month-old Colton from Terre Haute was selected to appear in the bright lights of Broadway as part of the National Down Syndrome Society's annual Times Square video presentation. The NDSS video will feature children, teens and adults with Down syndrome to highlight "the contributions and milestones of people with Down syndrome."
The video presentation in Times Square will be followed by the 23rd Annual Flagship Buddy Walk on September 16, 2017.
"The glasses make the picture and that is his personality but he's a happy boy. When he is feeling good he is a happy boy. When he is happy, we are definitely happy," said his father, Matt.
Right now, the family is not happy. Colton suffered a cardiac arrest and is currently hospitalized at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.
"He's doing okay. He is on a vent now, we are to get him off that soon. He will probably need heart surgery in the near future," Kim said.
His parents estimate Colton has spent at least six of his 19 months at Riley. So the recent news that his picture was selected to appear in the Times Square video lifted their spirits.
"Just a lot of people happy for us, I think. A lot of people know what we are going through right now. We talk about it openly to bring awareness to his condition, so I think a lot of people are just happy for us," Kim said.
"It's exciting to see your kid in New York City on Times Square front and center, so it's exciting," Matt said.
But for now, the Murrays, including Colton's older brother Hayden, just want to see him get better. The video will debut in the Big Apple September 16, so the family will most likely not be able to be there to see it.
"No, but we know lots of people who will be there and probably Facebook Live it or take pictures and they plan to release a YouTube video, so we will be able to see it," Kim said.
But for now, their focus is on getting the 19-month-old "Homie with an Extra Chromie" healthy again.