Down’s syndrome might be an unknown area for most people, but some have to deal with it every day – but despite the challenges, they are doing great.
The members of Down Syndrome Liverpool have had a successful year, having won medals in everything from dancing and gymnastics to football and swimming.
The Merseyside-based charity, which has almost 100 members, aims to give support to families and people affected by Down’s syndrome.
Anne Wilde, the secretary of Down Syndrome Liverpool, told JMU Journalism that one of the events the charity arranges is a social evening, out of public hours, at the Yellow Sub playcentre in town.
She said: “It’s a good opportunity for our families to get together. We bring siblings, cousins and grandparents, and the children have the opportunity to enjoy themselves, play in the area and to meet and talk.”
People with Down’s syndrome have an extra copy of one chromosome. Mrs Wilde underlined that all children, even with Down’s syndrome, are different.
“I think people find it difficult to understand that even though they have Down’s syndrome they are very individual. They are treated as a person first, the Down’s syndrome comes secondary.”
The main challenge for a child with Down’s syndrome is, according to Mrs Wilde, that they will have some form of learning difficulties.
“They will reach the milestone that every other child reaches, but it generally takes just a little bit longer for them to get there.”