There is no denying with the COVID-19 pandemic this has been a challenging month for our community to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month as we have in the past. I’ve missed the events that gave me the opportunity to share time and space with other families like mine.
Now more than ever, I am thankful for being part of a community that recognizes the value of all abilities. I have found joy and hope for Oskar’s future (he just turned 7) in the stories that many of you shared for our #StrongerTogether photo campaign for they remind us that people with Down syndrome are precious members of our society. They are sons, daughters, neighbors, students, friends, co-workers, husbands, wives, artists, citizens, and, most importantly, treasured and loved. Help us end the month #StrongerTogether by sharing this slideshow with your friends.
Here at LuMind IDSC, our efforts to raise awareness inside and outside of our community don’t end on October 31. We raise awareness everyday by connecting families to resources and each other online and in person. We raise awareness and mobilize action in the research, clinical trial, and medical care community to advance treatments for people with Down syndrome. Just in 2020 we supported 5 clinical trials and observational studies.
This year the coronavirus hurt our fundraising, but it hasn’t slowed our efforts to grow the initiatives to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, sleep apnea, improve independence, and support families that are the core of our mission while adding new projects in response to the COVID-19 needs of our community.
October is also the beginning of our fiscal year when we plan our priorities for the coming year. We look forward to being #StrongerTogether in 2021 and making it easier for families to access the best healthcare regardless of their location, to be included in the most promising research and clinical trials, and to connect and celebrate with each other, online and, hopefully, in person.
Thank you for sharing our vision to create a world where every person with Down syndrome lives longer, healthier, more independent lives.