WORLD Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is being celebrated today, March 21, and is being observed to raise awareness of the condition and disseminate information about it. To commemorate World Down Syndrome Day, the Highway Mail is talking to a Kloof resident, Barbara Taljard, who shares her journey with raising a child with the condition.
What is Down Syndrome and how does it affect people?
Down syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality that develops during pregnancy. Trisomy 21 is a condition in which an additional number 21 chromosome is present, which causes disabilities in physical and mental development.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) calls for “full and effective participation and inclusion in society” and its general principles. Everyone should have the same opportunities in life, including the ability to visit the same places, participate in the same activities and have the same life experiences. However, people with Down syndrome and other disabilities are not fully integrated into society.
READ AS: KZN’s eldest wife with Down Syndrome remains a beacon of hope at 70
According to Barbara, her daughter Jeni Lee is 37 years old and has Down Syndrome. Jeni visits the Kloof Methodist Church’s Careways Workshop for the Intellectually Challenged.
Barbara said that the challenge in raising a child with Down Syndrome is that your child struggles to achieve certain goals and can never be fully accepted into society.
“Your child is slower to reach milestones and there are some milestones they can never reach. This means that they adapt better in an inclusive environment. Unfortunately, society often hinders those who are challenged by them. do not understand and offer a kind of rejection, as if it were a contagious disease.
Barbara said every child is unique and deserves to be loved.
Her advice for all parents who have children with Down syndrome is,
“Love them unconditionally, and treat them like any other child, stimulate them and believe that they can instead of not being able to. They have so much love to give and they are equally a blessing.
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