If you’ve been reading Mom Knows It All for a while then you probably recall that my youngest son CJ has Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition there is, with one in every 691 babies in the US being born with it. Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother, but due to higher fertility rates in younger women, 80 percent of children with Down syndrome are born to women under 35 years of age.
There are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the US. Down syndrome occurs when a person has 3 copies of the 21st chromosome, instead of 2. This extra chromosome impacts health and development, and causes the characteristics commonly associated with Down syndrome.
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which is celebrated annually. The designation provides a chance to spread awareness, advocate, educate and promote inclusion. It’s a great way to address issues, answer questions, share information, talk about the lives of people with Down syndrome including their abilities and accomplishments.
I consider myself very lucky to have CJ in my life and as my child. I hope one day society can accept him as the amazing person he is, instead of someone that is labeled, mocked, dismissed, ignored, avoided, shunned or stared at.
CJ is a person just like you and I. He has feelings. He embraces life and finds happiness in all sorts of places. He is kind, generous, loving and accepting. He works hard and always tries his best. He doesn’t label or judge. I wish more people were like him.
I’ll be sharing some facts, stories and opinions throughout the month so I hope you’ll check back. Should you have questions about Down syndrome, please feel free to leave a comment and I’d be hppy totry to answer them.
Some posts on this site contain an affiliate link. Affiliate links are used in an attempt to offset the operational costs incurred by running this website. Clicking on an affiliate link does not increase the cost of the product if you buy it. It does mean that I MAY make a commission if you purchase the item. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This is a great reminder to everyone and CJ sounds like such a sweet person. I definitely think this month would be a good time to begin having conversations about down syndrome with kids.
Wow – I didn’t know some of the facts and stats you talked about. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone discriminating against someone with Downs – so it breaks my heart to hear that happens!
He sounds like a very fun and sweet person! A good friend of mine has a little boy who has down syndrome and he’s the sweetest little boy!!
Your son sounds like an amazing kid. I can see the love for him shine through your post and he is lucky to have such an amazing Mom.
He sounds like such a sweetheart! I will definitely be following along. I think the more understanding we have, the more understanding we’ll be!
I love that you’ll be sharing facts and raising awareness about Down Syndrome. It’s so cool to see how many more opportunities there are for people with down syndrome. You are one lucky mama to have a great kiddo like CJ and he is one lucky kid to have a great mom like you!
My cousin’s 2 year old has Down syndrome. She is the sweetest. I love her to bits. People can be so cruel.
He seems like a great kid and I will look forward to hearing more about him. It is so nice they celebrate these families with a month of tribute.