Famous American singer, songwriter and actress, Demi Lovato recently concluded an under-publicized trip to Israel.
Though Lovato visited many landmarks and locations on her recent trip to Israel, she posted only a select few images on her Instagram feed.
One of these images was a photograph of herself holding a little girl with Down syndrome at the Shalva National Center in Jerusalem. In a matter of hours, the post received well over one million likes and ten thousand comments.
"I fell in love with this little beauty at the Shalva National Center. What an amazing center for children with special needs," Lovato told her 74.5 million followers.
Lovato and her parents paid a two-hour tour visit to Shalva, touring the center and eating lunch at the inclusive Café Shalva. She was especially moved by her visit with the Shalva Band, which wowed the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest and inspired millions of viewers across the globe with their message of inclusion.
In addition to housing rehabilitative programs for 2,000 beneficiaries around the clock, the Shalva center also hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world.
"It is an honor to meet dignitaries and community delegations who come to learn about Shalva's disability care and inclusion models," said Kalman Samuels, the organization's founder and president.
Lovato also met Kalman Samuels and his son Yossi, who is blind and deaf among other disabilities and was the inspiration for the organization's establishment. During their meeting, Lovato had a very personal conversation with Yossi using sign language finger-spelling into the palm of his hand.
When exiting the building, she signed "I love you" to a gathered crowd.