Be the Change: Celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Seasons of Change
I love October. Crisp mornings and hot cider help me welcome autumn. Change is in the air—you can feel it.
One of my very favorite things about October is that it’s National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. We’ve made considerable progress in recognizing the beauty and worth of our friends with an extra 21st chromosome since President Ronald Reagan designated October as this special month in 1984. Afterall, people with Down syndrome were once regularly institutionalized.
But even as more churches add buddy ministries and schools campaign against the R-word, daily living with my 19-year-old daughter Sarah, who has Down syndrome, is a constant reminder that we still have a long way to go.
Recently, Sarah and I attended a weekend ladies’ conference. Approaching the hospitality table with big smiles, we gave the registrar our names, eagerly anticipating looking through the swag bags given to every attendee.
The registrar pointed to Sarah and said, “She doesn’t need a gift bag.”
My eyes widened and my mind raced.
“What do you mean, ‘She doesn’t need a gift bag?’” I heard my mama bear’s voice ask. “She paid just as much for her ticket as everyone else here.”
The volunteer passing out goody bags sheepishly handed one to me and another to Sarah, and we left to find our seats in the auditorium.
I was determined not to let that unpleasant moment ruin our day, but it was a painful reminder that people are still making assumptions and decisions based on facial features and body types.
I call that discrimination, and it hurts.
Sarah and I have been dealing with this type of prejudice for almost two decades. Why is it that the approximately 400,000 people with Down syndrome in the U.S. are considered “less than” simply because of their chromosomal condition?
God sees them—sees us all, really—as his wonderfully made image bearers. Who are we to think we know better than God himself?
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27
When you look at a person with Down syndrome, do you realize you are looking at the image of God?
Seeing the divine worth and equality of people with Down syndrome is what we focus on in October. It’s what many of us focus on all year long.
Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder and CEO of the Joni and Friends International Disability Center, was paralyzed in a diving accident at the age of 17. God used her disability to establish a global ministry that has helped 14 million people. She reminds us:
“Life is worth living—it is worth celebrating—no matter the diagnosis.”
Too many families feel the sting of rejection because their loved ones with Down syndrome are treated as less than fully equal. Too many moms have to mend broken hearts when their children experience loneliness, exclusion, and bullying.
We’re waiting for the world to come into alignment with the truth that people with Down syndrome deserve the same treatment and opportunities as everyone else.
And while our story is peppered with rejection, I’m grateful for the many instances of love and acceptance we experience from like-minded souls who know that Sarah’s life is meaningful and full of purpose.
As God’s image-bearers, every human being is worthy of honor, respect, and life. Each person is irreplaceable because each one of us—regardless of how many chromosomes we have—has a call on our lives that only we can fulfill.
During the month of October, consider what you and your church can do to affirm and celebrate people with Down syndrome.
Be a Voice
Post National Down Syndrome Awareness Month messages on your social media platforms. Talk to your church leadership team and make sure that people with Down syndrome are included in your congregation.
Be a Friend
Reach out to the children and adults with Down syndrome in your neighborhood and church. Consider becoming a volunteer buddy with a local school or organization. You’ll find lots of opportunities right in your neck of the woods at www.joniandfriends.org.
Be an Example
Let the change in seasons prompt you to pray for a shift in circumstances. Seek God’s heart for people with Down syndrome, which mirrors his heart for us all.
These simple acts will surely encourage folks with Down syndrome and their families, making the world a better place—not just in October, but all year long.
And if you’re a fellow mama bear of a beautiful child with Down syndrome or any disability… I see you. And God does, too.
Your child is fearfully and wonderfully made and destined to make a difference.
So don’t you dare give up. Change is in the air. I can feel it.
Written By—Shauna Amick, M.Ed.
Director of Direct Response and Radio Channel Marketing
Joni and Friends
Support Joni and Friends
Will you partner with us in reaching out to those the world so often casts aside? Children and families living with disabilities shouldn’t have to wait all year long to feel valued and respected. Your gift, given today, will support all the programs and events we offer families every month—lightening their burdens and renewing their hope.
