Woman fears she won't find partner who will "accept" sister—she was wrong
Story by Melissa Fleur Afshar
• 4h
A quietly powerful video that captures the bond between a North Carolina woman’s husband and her younger sister, who has Down syndrome, has sparked an outpouring of praise and emotion among viewers on Instagram.
The October 13 post by Valeriia Litvinova Cunningham has since been liked more than 50,000 times, with viewers moved by what they described as a rare and genuine display of unconditional love.
The short clip, posted to Cunningham’s account @vallitfit, features her husband, Kirk James Cunningham, and her 23-year-old sister Anya Litvinova (@anyundik). The pair are seen working out, eating, laughing, and enjoying time together—moments that underscore a close, natural relationship rarely highlighted in mainstream media.
An overlaid text on the video read: “I used to wonder if I’d ever find someone who’d truly accept my sister, but he didn’t just accept her, he loves her like she’s his own.” The caption added: “I always knew my sister would be with me forever. What I didn’t know was that one day, someone would come along and love her just as much as I do.”
Speaking to Newsweek, Cunningham, a 26-year-old registered dietitian and online fitness coach based in Raleigh, described the response to the video as “overwhelmingly heartwarming.”
“When Kirk met my family, he instantly connected with Anya, despite a language barrier,” Cunningham said. “As someone who grew up understanding that I would always be my sister’s advocate, I never expected to find someone who would embrace that part of my life so naturally. Kirk didn’t just accept Anya; he saw her, loved her, and became her best friend. That’s what this post celebrates.”
The sisters run a social media platform focused on fitness, inclusivity, and disability representation. Their following has grown steadily, driven in part by viewers connecting with the authenticity of their content.
From left: Valeriia Litvinova Cunningham and Kirk Cunningham on their wedding day; and the couple in a gym with her sister, Anya.
“To me, it’s a reminder that love and acceptance are universal languages,” Cunningham said. “Seeing people relate to our story, share their own, or simply express joy while watching our little moment has been incredibly moving.
“It reaffirms that kindness and inclusion still resonate deeply in today’s world.”
Cunningham moved to the U.S. from Kyiv, Ukraine, at age 15 and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition science. When her family reunited in North Carolina following war tensions in Ukraine in 2022, she created a wellness plan for them—a step that laid the groundwork for the fitness journey she and Anya now share publicly.
“Our journey began from a deeply personal place: a desire to improve our health and show that strength has no labels,” she said. “Seeing Anya’s confidence, determination, and joy has been the driving force behind everything I do.”
The sisters also co-founded Strength Without Labels, a free, in-person strength training program for individuals with Down syndrome offered at GiGi’s Playhouse. The initiative reflects their goal to expand disability representation beyond words and into action.
“One thing that became very clear as our platform grew was how much positive representation of disabilities was missing from social media,” Cunningham said. “Far too often, disabilities are portrayed in ways that are either demeaning or focused only on the challenges rather than the strengths.
“Anya and I wanted to change that narrative. We wanted to show the world that having a disability doesn’t define who you are or what you can achieve. It became our mission to challenge stereotypes and promote acceptance, not just through words, but through actions.” |
