Down Syndrome awareness group meet and greet
All individuals diagnosed with Down Syndrome and other special needs, together with their families, are invited to a Meet and Greet Picnic at Mitchell Park on Saturday.
OCTOBER is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and presents a chance to spread awareness, advocacy and inclusion throughout the community.
According to Trudy Chetty, founder of You’re Magical, a support group designed to assist people with Down Syndrome, during the month of October, individuals with Down Syndrome are celebrated, and people are made aware of their abilities and accomplishments.
“People born with down syndrome are no different to those without it. They are people that are born with an intellectual disability, ” explained Trudy.
Down Syndrome is a genetic condition that typically causes some level of learning disability and characteristic physical features. Down Syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in a baby’s cells. In the vast majority of cases, this isn’t inherited and is simply the result of a one-off genetic mistake in the sperm or egg.
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“Although there is no ‘cure’ for Down Syndrome, there are ways to help children with the condition develop into healthy and fulfilled individuals who are able to achieve the level of independence right for them. It is important to remember each child is different and it is not possible to predict how individuals will develop,” said Trudy.
To help create independence, Trudy says it is important to have access to good healthcare, including a range of different specialists, early intervention programmes to provide support for children and parents, good parenting skills and an ordinary family life, education and support groups to provide information and help for parents, friends and families. Trudy invites all individuals diagnosed with Down Syndrome and other special needs, together with their families, to a Meet and Greet Picnic at Mitchell Park on Saturday, 19 October from 10am. Take picnic baskets, blankets and chairs.
If you want to be part of this group, contact Trudy on 081 022 2500 or trudychetty@webmail.co.za. Visit: www.facebook.com/YOUREMAGICAL or www.youremagical.co.za.
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