The tenderness of their smiles and clean looks are undeniable. In these times of human disconnection, absolute insensitivity that is expressed from subtle reactions to horrendous crimes and a sick propensity of the media to overvalue negative and vulgar aspects of people considered "normal", those human beings who have Syndrome of Down They stand out for their purity, their invariable disposition to affection and a genuine innocence, free from doubts and conditioning of this society that inevitably tends to rational and premeditated abjection. This Friday is World Down Syndrome Day, a necessary date to reflect on the value and rights of these people who, even in the 21st century, suffer from discrimination from some retrograde and ignorant sectors, while in the world there are incredible advances regarding the protection of their rights to study and improve themselves, work and be useful to their families and society. In this note we learn more about this condition, which deserves all our support, respect and consideration:
In 1866, the English doctor John Langdon Down, who worked in an establishment dedicated to the study of people with mental retardation in Earlswood, Surrey United Kingdom, decided to publish a article under the name of:Observations in an ethnic group of mentally retarded. In this English work, the physical characteristics of people with Down Syndrome are revealed for the first time. .
In 1932, the Dutch ophthalmologist Petrus Johannes Waardenburg noted for the first time that an abnormal distribution of chromosomal material is the possible cause of Down syndrome . Today it is known that the Dutch doctor was right and that people who do not suffer from Down Syndrome they have forty-six chromosomes twenty-one, instead of forty-seven chromosomes, an essential characteristic of children born with the syndrome.
In 1959, the French researcher Jérome Lejeune, also known as the father of modern genetics, discovered and confirmed that Down Syndrome it is caused by a third chromosome in pair 21.
Studies show that the older the surrogate mother is, the greater the probability that the allocation of twenty-one chromosomes increases and their distribution is not adequate, running the risk giving birth to a child with Down syndrome . Statistics around the world show that one child out of every 733 suffers from the syndrome, whose name comes from the surname of its discoverer.
The first events to raise awareness of the existence of the syndrome and urge society to find ways to supply those in need with the necessary elements to have a better quality life and more bearable, they were held only in 2006 and at the initiative of the doctor Stylianos E. Antonarakis in Geneva, Switzerland. In December 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations , declared that the World Day of Down syndrome It would be held every March 21.
The United Nations General Assembly declares that:“Down Syndrome is a normal chromosomal combination that has always been part of the human condition, present in all regions of the world. world and usually has variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics, or health. Adequate access to health care, early intervention programs and inclusive education, as well as adequate research, are vital for the growth and development of the person.”
By celebrating March 21, the UN aims to:“raise public awareness of the issue and recall the inherent dignity, worth and valuable contributions of people with intellectual disabilities as promoters of the well-being and diversity of their communities. He also wants to highlight the importance of their individual autonomy and independence, in particular the freedom to make their own decisions.”
The important declaration of the United Nations was the product of the joint participation of civil society associations, governments and the promotion of seventy-nine countries. The reason why the awareness celebration takes place every March 21 is because it is the third chromosome in the twenty-first pair that generates the syndrome that affects six million people worldwide according to statistics.
In Mexico, the John Langdon Down Foundation was born 40 years ago, an institution in charge of publicizing the reasons why different societies have the obligation to value and appreciate in their human dimension people who suffer from the syndrome. The objective of this foundation is to improve the quality of life of people who have a third chromosome in pair 21. This important foundation fulfills an irreplaceable function within society because it provides the means for families with limited economic resources so that they can be able to give their children the opportunity to function within their environment in a normal way.
In celebration of World Down Syndrome Day which was carried out last year by the General Assembly of the United Nations, emphasized the inalienable right of all human beings with DS to have equal opportunities and conditions in their workplaces, all within a work environment inclusive and accessible and by choosing a job freely.