People With Down Syndrome Day Is Celebrated Around The World On March 21

People with Down Syndrome Day is celebrated around the world on March 21

On March 21, people around the world celebrate International Day of Person with Down Syndrome, a genetic pathology caused by an extra (third) chromosome in the 21st pair.

On March 21, people celebrate International Day of Person with Down Syndrome, a genetic pathology caused by an extra (third) chromosome in the 21st pair. That is why in 2006 the 21st day of the third month was chosen - it symbolizes these three chromosomes. In 2011, March 21 at the UN General Assembly was declared World Day for People with Down Syndrome, and since then, events have been held on this day to inform the public about this pathology. The pathology itself was first described in 1866 by the doctor John Down, after whom the syndrome was later named, but at first the doctor himself and his colleagues called the pathology "Mongolism", since they saw Mongolian features in the faces of such people. It was only almost 100 years later that French geneticist Jérôme Lejeune discovered a relationship between Down's syndrome and chromosomal abnormalities.

This year, Down's Syndrome Day is celebrated for the 12th time. The author of this year's motto, as stated on the UN website, was the charity organization Down Syndrome International. Its staff proposed the slogan #MyVoiceMyCommunity (My voice, my community) - "Empower people with Down syndrome to speak, be heard and influence policies and actions to be involved in society." As a symbol of World Down Syndrome Day, people around the world today wear unpaired socks as a sign of unpaired chromosomes. This year, even Icelandic President Guðni Th. Jóhannnesson was photographed in such socks - he published a photo in which one of his legs is wearing a blue sock with red polka dots, and the other - a striped yellow-blue. Similar photos were posted by many other people,for example, Wiltshire County Police officers on their official Facebook group.

In 2015, scientists discovered the reason why Down syndrome is associated with dementia. It turned out that due to an extra chromosome, cells in the memory center of the brain lose the ability to communicate with each other and with other areas of the hippocampus - this leads to the fact that people with Down syndrome have problems remembering new information and retaining already known information. However, in the same study, experts found several genes, the impact on which can help solve the problem of memory recovery.

The Downside Up Foundation, which deals with early psychological, pedagogical and social assistance to families with children with Down syndrome, has calculated that 85% of parents in Russia abandon such children, and this is supported by the staff of maternity hospitals. In Scandinavia, there are no such refusals at all, and in the United States, parents are ready to adopt such children and even stand in line for them. This was reported by the RIA Novosti agency. However, such people are able to live a fulfilling life. Among them are actors, artists, businessmen and athletes. There is a family in the UK where both spouses are diagnosed with Down syndrome. This year, Marian (Maryanne) and Tommy Pilling (Tommy Pilling) celebrated their 22-year wedding anniversary. Many condemned their families for allowing them to get married,but time has shown the opposite - the husband and wife are still as happy together as they were 22 years ago.