LEWISBURG, WV (WOAY)- Friday was World Down Syndrome Day, a day to advocate for the rights, inclusion, and well-being of those with Down Syndrome.
Down syndrome is a condition in which someone is born with an extra chromosome, specifically this extra chromosome is in the 21st chromosome. Around 1 in every 800 babies are born with Down Syndrome.
Greenbrier East High School celebrated the day with wearing t-shirts and mismatched socks. You may be wondering, why wear mismatched socks?
“The mismatched socks represent the 21st chromosome and under the microscope they look like a pair of socks ,’ said Kristen Shirley, Special Education Teacher at GEHS. “We do this on March 21st because it represents the three copies of the 21st chromosome.”
Many people with Down Syndrome have an intellectual disability, and it’s different from person to person. Also, some health conditions are more common for people with Down Syndrome.
This condition occurs naturally with no known cause. That’s the reason there are so many advocates for those with it and their families. The families just want the world to know, their child is perfect regardless of having Down Syndrome.
“So each child with Down’s syndrome is downright perfect,” said Emily Dunkle, Parent of Weston, a child with Down Syndrome, and a teacher at GEHS. “It’s really important for them to be included and for us to raise awareness for their inclusion and they’re just downright perfect.”
