Three compelling reasons to be up about Downs Syndrome? Why would anyone be up about Downs? Don’t you worry, I’m going to give you three compelling reasons and a bonus reason. But first let’s start with celebrating World Down Syndrome Day.
World Down Syndrome Day
Today is March 21st, World Down Syndrome Day. Perhaps you didn’t know there was even a World Down Syndrome Day. I know I didn’t until my daughter mentioned it to me.
Why Today?
You may be wondering if there’s any significance to the date. Believe it or not, there is. The date was specifically chosen because for a large population of people with Down Syndrome, it’s caused by an extra chromosome on their 21st chromosome.
Trisomy is the medical word for having an extra copy of a chromosome. Trisomy 21 is another term used to describe Down syndrome.
It’s the third chromosome that causes Down Syndrome. Hence, the third month on the 21st day.
Compelling Reason #1
Thank God, gone are the days when children with Down Syndrome (DS) were locked away with little to no support. They weren’t expected to be able to function well and they had relatively short life expectations.
Now, people with DS benefit from medical care options that were not available years ago. As you’ll see below, there are a lot more resources available for people with Down Syndrome than ever before.
Those resources and services range from speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy to inclusive educational environments. People with Down Syndrome have more opportunities and resources than ever before to live a normal life.
Compelling Reason #2
Thanks to the advances in technology, health interventions, resources and education the quality of life for people living with Down Syndrome has been increased dramatically.
This has also resulted in raised life expectancies. Whereas in the 60s the average life expectancy for a child with Down Syndrome was 10. Today that number is 60 and higher. With some adults with Down Syndrome living well into their 70s.
Compelling Reason #3
Children with Down syndrome typically face delays in certain areas of development. To catch and begin to address those, early intervention is highly recommended. It can begin any time after birth, but the sooner it starts, the better.
Not sure where to start? You may want to check out this article about Early Intervention for children with Down Syndrome. It’s on the website for the National Down Syndrome Society. They are one of many websites dedicated to Down Syndrome. Here’s a link to their Resources and Support page. They may have more information you may find helpful.
A Bonus Reason
Here’s my favorite compelling reason to be up about Down Syndrome. It’s my beautiful granddaughter, Zeile. We found out while my daughter was pregnant about Zeile having Down Syndrome.
I won’t say it was easy but in all honesty, I feel like our family was prepared to deal with it. We’ve been dealing with another uncommon medical condition with our middle son, Mikese. You can read about his story in one of my many posts about him. This was my first post about his condition and our battles to support him.
I’m glad we were able to find out early. I think it helped us all prepare. It also allowed my daughter and son-in-law begin the critical early intervention services.
As I look at my beautiful little granddaughter, something my daughter said to me resonated. She found support in reading blogs of other parents of children with Down Syndrome. She told me how she read a mother’s story where it boiled down to the fact, her baby with Down Syndrome, at the end of the day, is still just a baby.
And since my daughter, who has gifted us with 4 grandsons already, was hoping for a girl, she is just Down Right (pun intended) perfect little girl!
Until next time,
Namaste,
Khadeeja
