FASHION

SPECIAL REPORT
Successful with
Down Syndrome
Being born with Down Syndrome may give you a challenging start in life, but with the right help and the right
attitude anything is possible, as Mawess Mea Wirtz finds out
The definition of a person with Down Syndrome is simple – it is a person
who has either an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21 resulting
in 47 instead of the normal 46 chromosomes. The English doctor, John
Langdon Down who first categorised it, did the usual and named the
syndrome after himself, but it was Dr. Jerome Lejeune who actually
discovered that it was a genetic disorder. Currently, the exact cause is
unknown but statistics show that the older the mother is when she falls
pregnant, the higher the chances that she would have a child born with
DS. Women aged 30 or less have less than 1 in 1,000 chance of have a DS
child, compared to 1 in 400 at age 35. Usually, women over the age of
35 are tested pre-birth for the condition through amniocentesis (testing
the amniotic fluid). Statistics also show that parents who already have a
Down Syndrome baby or have abnormalities in their own chromosome
21 are also high risk. But what is it like to have a Down Syndrome baby in
Seychelles? What is it like to raise the child? How does it affect the family?
What help is there for parents and children alike?
Amazing Grace… how sweet the child.
Grace Mondon is 8 years old; she is an affectionate child who loves music
and going to school. She is a very good student who perseveres in class
and does sports well. She likes playing with her best friend, her twelve
year old cousin Nashil and they share a passion for music. She loves to
sing and dance. She is picky about food. She has Down Syndrome.
Finding out the hard way.
Her mother, Georgette, was 30 when she was born and her father, Clifford
was 33 years old. They had both been in good health and awaiting the
birth of their daughter impatiently. The day that Grace was born was the
HAPPIEST moment in their lives. Georgette had had multiple scans during
her pregnancy but no one noticed anything wrong with her child, the
first indication that something was amiss came AFTER Grace was born.
Mr Mondon remembers a nurse telling him that she thought that there
was something wrong with his baby, but to wait for the doctor. As new
parents, they were immediately filled with fear. The doctor came soon
after, accompanied by a class he was teaching and while the parents
waited fearfully, their child was passed around and examined, her
characteristics were discussed and it was only after class was dismissed
that the doctor informed them that Grace had Down Syndrome. Their
world was rocked. Could you imagine what such a moment feels like?
Where there is a will, there is a way
Mr Mondon remembers telling himself that everything happens for a
reason so he picked himself up, immediately started researching the
syndrome and how he could make a good life for his child. Luckily, among
the first sites, was a very uplifting one, it gave concrete advice and showed
grown up Down Syndrome people who were successful professionally.
11 MARCH 2015 | POTPOURRI