[View the story "World Down Syndrome Day commemorated around the globe" on Storify ]World Down Syndrome Day commemorated around the globe People from around the world took part in a campaign to spread awareness about Down syndrome. Storified by AJAMStream · Fri, Mar 21 2014 15:41:30
The hashtags
#ImagineDS and
#WDSD14 were widely used to spread facts and dispel misunderstandings about the genetic condition.
Down syndrome is defined by a person having three copies of the 21st chromosome, March 21st (3/21) = World Down Syndrome Day. #WDSD14Carrie McLaren
Down Syndrome is not a disease. People with Down's Syndrome are not ill and don't "suffer" from the condition. #imagineDSLorna Brigita N
#imagineDS over 80% of babies w/ Down syndrome are born to women under 35y/o & average age of a mother of an infant w/ Down syndrome is 28Stefani Emanuella
Others used the hashtag
#DownSyndromeDay to share photos of their loved ones living with Down syndrome.
I absolutely adore someone with Down Syndrome! Here's to you JM! #DownSyndromeDay http://t.co/fdwq3xcuf6Joni Shank
@DSAInfo my amazing daughter Esme #downssyndromeawareness #WDSD2014 http://t.co/GSWs0uukC9Mathew Madeley
Chief Constable of GMP with twins Abigail and Isobel Parry - pictured for World Down's Syndrome Day. http://t.co/dejjl5HYT6North West Tonight
Medical advances now
allow an expecting mother to test for Trisomy 21 before a baby is born. One 2009 study
found that more than 90 percent of women who receive prenatal diagnoses of Down syndrome end up getting abortions.
In one case, a woman was notified that her child would be born with an extra copy of the 21st chromosome. Fearing for the child's quality of life, the woman sent an
email to the
National Association of People with Down Syndrome . The association responded by collecting testimonials from 15 children living with Down syndrome around the world who reassured the mother that the genetic condition does not interfere with living a fruitful life:
DEAR FUTURE MOM | March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day | #DearFutureMomcoordown
The hashtag
#DearFutureMom took off shortly thereafter, and many online used it to share their thoughts and spread the video, which has nearly 3 million views to date.
#dearfuturemom... Children with down syndrome are beautiful, immeasurably valuable and will make futures brighter. http://t.co/IkPFljwYAhBecca Dean
They need to know their child who has Down Syndrome can be happy, and that it depend on us all. #DearFutureMom http://t.co/irZhsO9cGQFondation Lejeune
Many online continued to commemorate the day in a variety of different languages:
Translation (tweet) : The value of a society is judged by the way it treats the most vulnerable among us.
Translation (image)
#Trisomie21La valeur d'une société se juge à la manière dont elle accueille & soigne les plus fragiles d'entre nous.http://t.co/eTxlQjOeQlGaultier B.
Translation
Journée mondiale de la #trisomie21 : la recherche avance pour améliorer la vie des trisomiques. Plutôt que les supprimer, soignons-les !Henri de Soos
Translation :
Los amigos no cuentan cromosomas #sindromededown #DearFutureMom http://t.co/ASC7AeYBNXJorgeEnriqueMújicaLC
Translation
Es ist der 21.3., Welt-Down-Syndrom-Tag! Schade dass es nur einen Tag gibt, der Menschen mit Trisomie21 ehrt. http://t.co/lUORtELgdr #WDSD14Raul Krauthausen
Today is World Down Syndrome Day. Let's keep breaking down the barriers these incredible people face #WorldDownSyndromeDay #OttawaKim Sheldrick
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