World Down Syndrome Day

March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day.

Down’s Syndrome is a genetic disorder. Human beings have over 25,000 genes, organised into 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 chromosomes in total). People with Down’s Syndrome have a 3rd chromosome attached to their 21st pair (making 47 chromosomes in total). It is this chromosomal difference that defines the condition.

With this 3rd chromosome being attached to the 21st pair, DS is sometimes referred to as Trisomy 21 (there are other conditions known as Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18 where the 3rd chromosome is attached to a different pair, and this causes a different set of complications).

And so, because 3 and 21 are significant numbers, the 21st day of the 3rd month each year has been adopted as World Down Syndrome Day.

Those who know us personally, or have been following this blog for any length of time, will be aware that my 15-year-old daughter, Meg, has Down’s Syndrome.

This week Meg has been off school with quite a horrible cold. She’s on the mend, but I don’t think she’ll be back there this week.

However, on the plus side it meant she was available for me to take her photo this morning for this blog post



For those interested, you can find my DS related posts by clicking here or by selecting Down’s Syndrome from the Find your favourite topics list on the side bar.

And for those who would like to see some exquisitely beautiful, smiling faces of children with DS, then pop over to Conny Wenk’s site and look at the wee video she has put up today in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day:

http://connywenk.com/blog/2013/03/happy_world_down_syndrome_day_4.html