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| My daughter, Erin, on her 18th birthday. |
Today (March 21) has been designated as
World Down Syndrome Day. I think it's very cool how this date,
3/21, was chosen to represent and promote awareness of Down Syndrome. The medical term for Down Syndrome (that more accurately explains the cause of it) is "
Trisomy 21", describing the condition in which
a third piece of genetic material attaches itself to the 21st chromosome pair at conception. I have written elsewhere on this blog about how I feel the term "
Down Syndrome", though more commonly and immediately understood than "
Trisomy 21", also carries with it so much negative stereotype. So I am all for anything that helps to promote a more unprejudiced understanding of exactly what
Trisomy 21 is. Celebrating it today is a good place to do that (and yes I said "
celebrate", because that's what I do every time I think about how the presence of my oldest daughter in my life has made it so much better!). I love and celebrate the beauty of my daughter every day of the year. But if you are someone whose life
hasn't been as personally touched by someone with Down Syndrome, or if you are willing to acknowledge you
may have some misconceptions about it, I'm hoping that today, and in years to come,
March 21 (3/21) will be a day that jogs your memory to think about, and be thankful for, how our world is a better place because of the people with Down Syndrome who are in it.
As a side note, when my daughter was born with Trisomy 21 over 18 years ago, I think there were a total of
FOUR sites on the web that had information about Down Syndrome. Today, a simple google search on
"Down Syndrome" returns over 22 million hits!! I am thankful for all the excellent information that is out there today about Down Syndrome, including the many positive testimonials and other personal stories from family and friends whose lives have been touched by a person with Down Syndrome.
If you haven't yet, please take the time today to learn a little more about Trisomy 21. There is a whole website dedicated to
World Down Syndrome Awareness Day, and that would be a good place to start.
