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IF YOU’VE SEEN people showing off their odd socks on social media or in the office today, you might be wondering what’s happening.
The socks are to mark World Down Syndrome Day today, for the reason that they look a bit like chromosomes, and people with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome (making 47 altogether).
St. James's Hospital / Twitter#rockyoursocks today!! Don't forget your odd socks for #WorldDownSyndromeDay, your feet will thank you for it 😉 #LotsOfSocks #WDSD19 #LeaveNoOneBehind pic.twitter.com/kbAAgNBwP5
— St James's Hospital (@stjamesdublin) March 21, 2019
Ciara Feeney Reid / Twitter#WDSD19 #WorldDownSyndromeDay2019 #worlddownsyndromeday #rockyoursock4ODS #rockyoursocks #LotsOfSocks pic.twitter.com/4va9YWOfWy
— Ciara Feeney Reid (@CiaraFeeney) March 21, 2019
While people across Ireland and the UK have been showing off their odd socks (usually matched with a donation to a Down syndrome support organisation), a number of organisations have launched new information campaigns to help parents.
Down Syndrome Ireland is launching a new booklet today, called ‘…more than medical’, which is intended to be a resource for parents with a pre- or postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for their baby.
It has also launched a video for new parents, called ‘Having a child with Down syndrome’. On Sunday 24 March, it will hold its fourth annual Purple Run, which is held to raise funds for DSI.
There are about 7,000 people in Ireland with Down syndrome, and DSI works with about 3,500 of them. DSI says that children with Down syndrome can have increased risk of certain health issues, such as congenital heart defects and hearing, vision, thyroid and respiratory problems.
As the life expectancy of people with Down syndrome is increasing, it’s hugely important that the living and learning needs of people who have Down syndrome are supported, says DSI.
Along with this, ideas and attitudes about living with Down syndrome have changed, with the outdated beliefs around the capabilities of people with Down syndrome changing in recent decades.
With that in mind, The Down Syndrome Centre has a new campaign for today called I Could Be, which it says is “about supporting a brighter future for people with Down syndrome”.
Images of 18 children with Down Syndrome will be displayed around Dublin city centre today, each with the #ICouldBe message on it. The messages range from ‘I could be a TV presenter’ to ‘I could be a model’ to ‘I could be an artist’. It’s all about challenging the perceptions that people might have around what that one extra chromosome means:
The campaign aims to promote the message that while people with Down syndrome need additional supports, they have innate potential, skills, talents and unique perspectives to bring to society and to a chosen profession.
‘I Could Be’ is about supporting career opportunities for people with Down syndrome and opportunities to develop and progress in life.
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I wear odd socks half the time anyway! but will be happy to donate
Children are a gift, they come in all shapes and sizes, no two are alike but they are all equal in the joy they bring to those around them. Excellent article about it from a fathers perspective in the sun during the week. Will be happy to wear odd socks and donate today and I’d encourage everyone to do the same as it’s a great cause.
Great idea to bring more attention to cause.
What socks are varadkar wearing today I wonder? One’s that he thinks will win him a load of blue thumbs I reckon! #itstheimportantstuff #keeptherecoverygoing
@Shane Murphy: Give it a rest. Not everyone thinks that’s Leo is doing a bad job and also your comment has nothing to do with the article
@Shane Murphy: Do you really think that poorly of people with Down Syndrome that you have to hijack their day for a snide and selfish commentary on something entirely unrelated?
The first two I come to in the drawer go on everyday. If they are the same it’s just coincidence.
What socks are varadkar wearing today I wonder? One’s that will win him a load of blue thumbs I reckon! #itstheimportantstuff #keeptherecoverygoing
@Shane Murphy: heard you the first time
@Shane Murphy: I didn’t even need to open this to know that someone would make a stupid joke about Leo Varadkar. Seriously it’s getting old and this article has absolutely nothing to do with him!
@Sam Harms: absolutely? you must be sure
@Sam Harms: I’ll tell you what is getting old. His lack of action. Posing for the cameras. The health service is a joke. Law and order a joke. Housing a joke. Infrastructure a joke. But you’re right, those morons have only had nearly a decade at the helm and it can’t be fixed over night … fifty percent marginal tax rate on the working poor! That man is is the definition of a bullshitter and spoofer, the emperor with no clothes!
Sadly there won’t be much celebrating going on in Iceland.
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