Kaitlyn & Lisa Law

We are happy to announce that Kaitlyn Law, a 23-year old young lady with Down syndrome, and her mother, advocate, and cheerleader, Lisa, have been appointed as the Foundation's Ambassadors for Down Syndrome.

Kaitlyn is a bright, happy college student attending USC Aiken where she often speaks to education majors about Down syndrome. She also enjoys speaking to parent groups about the benefits of swimming for special needs children and adults. Kaitlyn is a competitive swimmer, voracious reader, works at a day care center with at-risk children, and enjoys a great relationship with her boyfriend, Nathan. Nate and Kate are two delightful NACD young adults and are an inspiration for us all.

During 2014 NACD will be focusing efforts on changing the perceptions of parents, the general public, and professionals about individuals with Down syndrome, and helping to provide these children and adults with real opportunities that are commensurate with their innate potential. Another of our goals is to help educate expectant parents who are often ignorant or misinformed as to the potential of individuals with DS. Abortion of Down syndrome babies is still being encouraged. In the United States an alarming 67% of fetuses with probable DS are aborted, and in the United Kingdom and Europe that number is an incredible 92%. We believe that in the majority of cases, there is simply a lack of knowledge and understanding on the part of the parents, and a lack of education on the part of the professionals.

The National Association for Child Development works with families of children with Down syndrome internationally and is acuity aware of the difficulties facing the families of these children. General parental and community education is sorely lacking. There is inadequate dietary, medical, neurodevelopmental, therapeutic, educational, social, and vocational guidance and assistance.

Today more and more individuals with Down syndrome are demonstrating their potential, graduating from high school, attending college, starting businesses, being gainfully employed. Many have wonderful social lives and are assets to their loving families and communities. This is the potential; but unfortunately our society is failing most of these children and adults dismally. Low perceptions of potential tend to lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.

Kaitlyn and Lisa Law will be traveling around the United States and internationally, speaking to parents and organizations, helping to increase awareness and change perceptions, teach acceptance, understanding, value, and inclusion, and to help save lives. In addition the Ambassadors will be helping to build a community of professionals to help NACD in its mission to develop better biomedical, dietary and nutritional, developmental and educational methodologies. But first and foremost, NACD's International Ambassadors for Down Syndrome will be focusing on parents and families, helping to teach them how to assume the responsibility for their children, and showing them how to take charge and become their child's advocates.

Kaitlyn and Lisa will be helping us unite and network our NACD families with Down syndrome children, and through our NACD DS community provide support, knowledge, good will, and hope.

Our families with Down syndrome children and adults who wish to network, participate, and help can contact Kaityn and Lisa at DSAmbassadors@nacd.org.

Recently I had the opportunity to host the most interesting event, and I have been anxious to tell you all about it. I received a request from the Israeli Embassy in India to host a group of 11 young adults with Down syndrome and 11 of their siblings/cousins. The embassy had requested for a mixer where the group would be able to interact with the young adults with Down syndrome from India. I very graciously accepted. My tiny chapter has only two young adults with Down syndrome, so I contacted a local organization called Muskaan and invited them over for the event.

Even though we had a fun plan in place, I had my doubts. There was the obvious language barrier with Hindi, English, and Hebrew in the mix and several other unanswered questions. I gathered a group of 6 young adults and their family members. I also had a few volunteers join in as well to facilitate interaction. The plan was to have a picnic lunch at the India gate and then head to the Israeli embassy for a formal interaction with the ambassador. The two NACD young adults who accompanied us were Shaurya Mehrotra and Karan Bhatti.

As we all were heading down to the venue, I stood in front of the mini bus and ensured that our guests from Muskaan were doing fine; and Shaurya made sure that I was too. Every ten minutes or so, he would ask me, "Are you fine, Prachi?" Within 5 minutes of being introduced to each other, we had all forgotten each other's names, but everyone knew who Shaurya and Karan were. They continued to entertain us for the hour we were in the bus.

After the merry ride, the picnic was even more fun. All my doubts evaporated. As I was busy talking to newspaper reporters, Shaurya took over the job of making everyone feel at home. Love flowed through as everybody interacted through hugs. Shaurya was most liberal with his hugs, with Karan in close second. After a quick lunch of Indian food and Israeli delicacies, it was time to play games. I will confide to you that another fear I had was my NACD troop of two being over shadowed. I never had expected a take over, and that is what it was.

Next at the embassy, we gathered to hear the Ambassador extend us a welcome and thank NACD. Our friends from Israel shared their experiences and then I was called upon to say a few words. All this while Shaurya was on the stage applauding and encouraging everyone who spoke. When I finished I asked him if he wanted to add something. He asked for a group hug. Everyone obliged and quickly converged. I saw some quickly retract to different corners of the room wiping tears as the rest of the group extended the hug. Thereafter it was a somber affair as they enjoyed the snacks and then somber goodbyes.