Trisomy Tuesday (on Wednesday)

The day got away from me yesterday…again!  I realize I missed doing this post a couple of weeks ago, so I apologize.  Our summer has been anything but lazy, and that’s the best excuse I can come up with!  For today’s trisomy moment…

While any medical issues that occur in people with Down syndrome are the same as the general population, certain medical conditions are found more frequently in the Down syndrome population.  That is to say, there are no medical conditions that are unique to Down syndrome.  But certain conditions, like thyroid disorder, happen more frequently with Down syndrome.  As such, people with Down syndrome are screened more frequently for a list of medical conditions.

People with Down syndrome are people first.  I know, that sounds like a no-brainer.  But the fact of the matter is, they are individual people – not a diagnosis – who are, in most respects, just like people with 46 chromosomes.  They have feelings, they learn, they love.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that Daniel has Down syndrome because he is just like my other kids (just in baby form)!

People with Down syndrome are doing more than ever before.    Rather than being institutionalized (as was once the case in the U.S., and still is in other parts of the world), people with Down syndrome are going to school with their peers, graduating from high school, working, making meaningful contributions to society, and even going to college!  Laws and acceptance have come a long way.