The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

World Down Syndrome Day

.
March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day - the date being chosen to reflect the fact people with DS have a 3rd chromosome attached to their 21st pair (we all have 46 chromosomes, coupled into 23 pairs, but people with DS have that triplet, meaning they have 47 chromosomes in total). For this reason, DS is also sometimes known as Trisomy 21.

So with the figures 3 and 21 being highly significant (and no month contains 47 days), 21st March seems like a good date to raise awareness of Down's Syndrome.

Depending on how long you have been visiting this site, or how much you've been poking about, or how good your memory is, you might, or might not, know my daughter, Meg, has Down's Syndrome.

Click on the "Down's Syndrome" label on the sidebar, under the Find Your Favourite Topics section if you would like to read any of my writings concerned with DS. Alternatively, check out the links under the "With a dash of something extra..." where you will find a lot of excellent blogs written by parents of children with DS.

I can't think of anything new to add that hasn't been covered in those previous posts, but if anyone has any questions, I'm more than happy to give answers and help educate people past society's misconceptions and prejudices.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd post a triplet of photos of Meg, each with a different treatment. The first is in colour, the 2nd in black and white, and the third has a sepia tint to it. All of them go to larger versions if you click on them







.

29 comments

Unknown said...

Meg is beautiful in all three. Nice job.

Christina M said...

Happy WDSD! Meg is absolutely beautiful!

Anonymous said...

very pretty..

Charlie said...

Meg is a sweetheart . . .

Pat said...

She's a natural. You are lucky to have a first rate model to practice on. If only I could get my lot to be so at ease with the camera.
In Minehead we have Foxes Academy where the students have Down Syndrome
and I have always enjoyed my visits there - there is a lovely atmosphere and I had my mother's 90th birthday party there.

Unknown said...

Oh, I love this portrait......in every color and shade of white, black, gray and sepia!!!

Happy World Down syndrome Day.....Meg you are so very precious!

Barlinnie said...

You have a very pretty little girl indeed.

I am extremely proud to be the Godfather to a very pretty little doll with Down's Syndrome.

Her smile is infectious, her love endless.

Anonymous said...

Meg is such a pretty little girl - a treasure for the family I would presume. DS is in my mind for the rest of the day now - I work as an Occupational Therapist with disabled children.

sarah said...

i love how she's peering over her glasses at you. she is beyond beautiful Kim, you are blessed.

Eryl said...

What is it about the 21st pair that makes it the only one that is sometimes a trio?

Meg's as cute as ever I'm glad to see.

savannah said...

absolutely precious, darlin! i love that look in her eyes. xoxo

Jeff said...

Kim,

Totally awesome pictures of Meg. I can't believe how much our kids have grown since I first met you mate. Have a great weekend.

Peace Dude.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Happy day to you Kim in the UK!

Kim Ayres said...

Carole - thank you :)

Christina - and to you :)

Sini - thank you :)

Charlie - she can be... :)

Pat - she is pretty natural with the camera. I tend to think she's very photgenic, but then I am aware of a certain bias on my part :)

Tara Marie - thank you - and happy WDSD to you and Emma sage too :)

Jimmy - I always suspected there was something of The GodFather to you... ;)

Bryher - a treasure, and a periodic pain in the butt, like the rest of the kids :)

Sarah - it makes a change fromthe rim of the glasses usually obscuring the eyes - I was lucky with this photo :)

Eryl - there are other variations, where a different chromosome has a triplet, or even this one locks onto another couplet. In those situations it is either a different classification, with different effects, or in a lot of cases, it makes life unviable.

Savannah - she knows how to melt her Daddy's heart :)

Jeff - Well it must be over 3 years now - a big chunk of any kid's life. Nash is certainly so much more grown up now :)

Starrlife - thank you, and to you :)

Anonymous said...

I can only add my opinion to the others that your daughter is beautiful. Oh, wait, I can also say you are quite the photographer.

Barbara

Mary Witzl said...

What a beautiful girl. And Pat is right: she is photogenic. I don't think you could take a bad picture of Meg if you tried.

Sayre said...

Your Meg is absolutely gorgeous. Her sweet soul just comes shining out in these pictures.

Kim Ayres said...

Barbara - thank you :)

Mary - I could, and I have, but I don't publish them :)

Sayre - her sweet soul was utterly refusing to cooperate trying to get her ready for school this morning...

Apex Zombie said...

Great photo, mate :) Then again, you couldn't really mess it up with a model like that :)

Anonymous said...

Ah me, what a wee sweetheart she is. God, they grow up so fast, don't they? It's scary.

This is a lovely portrait, Kim.

LegalMist said...

Beautiful girl, beautiful photos. :)

Kim Ayres said...

FLG - you'd be surprised...

Sam - thank you - yes they do grow fast. In fact it won't be long before I've got a post up saying Rogan is now as tall as me. No more than a couple of months I think, at this rate

LegalMist - thank you :)

Tom said...

Wonderful... brought a smile, Kim.

Kim Ayres said...

Thanks Tom :)

Pat said...

Looking at Meg's photos again - if they were mine - I'd be tempted to do an Andy Warhol and have the three photos side by side like he did with Marilyn.

Kim Ayres said...

I might play with that idea Pat :)

Jo said...

Meg - what a cute name for an equally adorable girl! Those pictures are absolutely precious.

Kim Ayres said...

Jo - welcome to my ramblings and thank you for taking the time to comment :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely!

Cheche

All content copyright of Kim Ayres. Powered by Blogger.