For the past five years, Whitney and Chris Justis knew that they wanted start a business in which their son, Wyatt, could participate.
A love for coffee inspired the idea for their coffee trailer, which is named Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Co., in reference to Wyatt’s Down syndrome.
People with Down syndrome are born with an extra copy of chromosome 21 rather than a pair, which can impact brain and body development, resulting in physical and mental challenges, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States, with about 1 in 700 babies born with Down syndrome.
Wyatt, who is a freshman at Republic High School, is just like any other teenager, his mom says — he will drag his feet when they start at Brew 21, but that “once we get going and he starts interacting with people, he gets excited and loves it.”
Brew 21 brews Copper Canyon coffee, a local roaster in Battlefield. Bags of the coffee Brew 21 uses, as well as goodies like chocolate covered coffee beans, can be purchased at the Down Syndrome Group of the Ozarks’ Upside Down Mercantile, 203 W. Commercial St.