SPECIAL REPORT competed in the Special Olympics National competition in the 50m walk and made her parents proud to see her receive her medal from Minister Meriton. The Seychelles Special Olympics The other organisation that helps out with the development of the young Down Syndrome children focuses on sports. A short interview with the National Director of the Seychelles Special Olympics, Ms Erica Celeste, cleared up what services they provided. The organisation conducts training of the disabled at various sports every Sunday but they do not have a bus, therefore the younger and more severe cases can only train at the Exceptional School. The ages range from 8 to “as old as you are when you stop” but the others are also registered to the association. Ms Celeste says that the training of the Down Syndrome athletes requires repetition of the same concepts every Sunday and endless patience. The performance of our athletes in the World Olympics however, is worth it. She notes that with Down Syndrome, a high level of positive reinforcement needs to be maintained. Usually she uses a plethora of high fives and hugs to steer her charges to success. The organisation is also going to start their young athletes programme and have a competition later in the year. “THE STUDENTS RANGE FROM BEING INCAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING FOR THEMSELVES TO THOSE WHO HAVE LEARNT HOW TO DO THINGS ON THEIR OWN”. How is she now? Grace doesn’t really talk, but make no mistake, she communicates effectively, she may not be able tell her parents something in sentences but through a combination of words and gestures, she makes her point. In her studies, she has been working diligently and is capable of doing a lot of small activities. Her teachers are proud of her progress and admire her for always keeping everything tidy, cleaning up after each activity all on her own. Cleanliness is definitely the next step to Godliness for Grace. She is no longer sickly and she lives like any 8-year old, loving to have fun with no idea that she is different. Down Syndrome takes centre-stage in 2015 A recent CNN.com article by David M Perry, highlighted how the spotlight is on Down Syndrome this year; in the article he wrote: “Down syndrome, with all its promise and challenges, has never been more visible: Jamie Brewer, an actress with Down Syndrome, just walked the catwalk at New York Fashion Week. A video of a girl with Down Syndrome singing a John Legend song went viral, receiving 6 million page views and counting. People were so moved by the story of a father choosing his son with Down Syndrome over his marriage that they donated over $500,000 to his care (although the father’s story has now been called into question).” The writer himself is the father of a Down Syndrome son, so he’s experienced to comment on the condition and went on to say: “Thanks to the power of the Internet and the commitment of activists, politicians and experts of all sorts, access to these antidotes [information, experts and community] has never been easier.” And it’s true – you’re not alone. Useful contact numbers and details: Exceptional School Seychelles: Call (+248) 4283057 / website: http://www.ecoschoolseychelles.org/school-forthe-exceptional-child.html Further reading and advice: https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/ http://www.down-syndrome.org https://www.ds-int.org http://www.downsyndrome.org.za/ International World Down Syndrome day is on 21 March In the future…. The future looks bright because some research shows that people with Down Syndrome who have certain heart defects or childhood leukemia are more likely than their typical counterparts to recover or recover more quickly. It is also rare for a person with Down Syndrome to have a solid tumor cancer or cardiovascular disease, (including heart attack and stroke). Her father says that ideally he would like to set her up with her own business because he is unsure about how she would be treated in someone’s employment. And when I asked him about dating, he says he thinks he is ok with it and he wants her to find someone, but I get the impression that it will take one amazing man to marry the Mondon princess. Over-protective is an understatement (and I mean this in the nicest way possible)! Research tells me that today the lifespan of a person with Down Syndrome is around 60 years, unlike as recently as 1983, when the average lifespan was 25 years. The average IQ has also increased so Grace might well soon be the successful businesswoman her father wants her to be. One year old At Farquhar Building for the future Mr Mondon has invested in so many projects that help out the disabled children. He set up the breakfast programme for the Exceptional School and he wants to set up a Down Syndrome club, where other parents can come together and work on improving the facilities available for Down Syndrome children. Down syndrome in the world Although children and adults with Down Syndrome may share some common features, they look more like their immediate family members than like each other. Actors such as Chris Burke, who played Corky in Life Goes On, and Lauren Potter, who plays Becky Jackson on Glee, show us that there is no barrier in being Down Syndrome, afterall, those two made it in HOLLYWOOD! Something most of us can only dream about. 13 MARCH 2015 | POTPOURRI
SPECIAL REPORT Before surgery After surgery Exceptional School Exceptional School MARCH 2015 | POTPOURRI 14
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