What is Down Syndrome??

Since it's National Down Syndrome Month and I am posting everyday (today is day 4!) to raise awareness for Down Syndrome, I thought I might as well tell you about what Down Syndrome is! :)

***I am by no means and expert, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong!***


Believe it or not, people with Down Syndrome, specifically Trisomy 21, since there are 3 kinds of Down Syndrome, (but more about that another day!) have the same exact chromosomes as everyone else! They are just blessed with an extra one! They have an extra 21st chromosome shown in the picture below, hence "Trisomy 21"!

But, the simple fact is they are hardly ANY different than you! They have feelings just as you do, and they want to be treated like everyone else! They just are a little bit slower to understand things and they look slightly different. Look slightly different? Why on earth do we care about that? Some people are tall, some are short. Do we discriminate the really tall people or short people? For the most part, absolutely not! So why should we with people with Down Syndrome?

I think Sunnie sums it up best - "I have often thought that maybe it is the rest of us with the problem...not those with the extra chromosome....they are joyful and experience life to the fullest...they love with EVERYTHING they have!!! I think the rest of us should take some lessons!!!"

And guess what Princess Lyla says! - 

"What do you mean? I don't have an extra chromosome - you're missing one! 

And I don't have a family because my mom thought I had an extra one! That wasn't my fault, and now I am stuck in an orphanage all day! Will you get me out?"