Down"s syndrome sufferers send message to mother expecting baby with condition

By

Emma Innes

|

All expectant parents hope their unborn baby will grow up to become a happy and healthy person.

So, if they are suddenly told their child will have a disability, they often experience a huge amount of worry and fear.

In a bid to offer reassurance and comfort to parents-to-be who find themselves in this position, a heart-warming video featuring people with Down’s syndrome has been released.

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For World Down Syndrome Day a video featuring 15 young people with Down’s syndrome has been launched. It shows the actors (including Sarah Gordy, pictured, who recently appeared in Call The Midwife) giving a reassuring message of hope to a mother-to-be who is expecting a baby with Down’s syndrome

 

The video, which was launched on YouTube for World Down Syndrome Day, which is on Friday, has been viewed more than a million times in less than a week.

The film was created by Saatchi Saatchi for CoorDown – the Italian Coordinator of the National Association of People with Down Syndrome.

It features a group of 15 young adults and children from across Europe all of whom have Down’s syndrome.

The actors involved in the film include Sarah Gordy who has Down’s syndrome and who appeared in BBC1′s Call The Midwife on February 16.

They each share a tear-jerking message which is aimed at a mother-to-be who has just learned her baby has the genetic condition.

The video, which has currently been viewed almost 1.2 million times, opens with this statement: ‘On the 9th of February, we received this email from a future mom.

The video has been viewed nearly 1.2 million times on YouTube since it was released less than a week ago

The film was created by Saatchi Saatchi for CoorDown – the Italian Coordinator of the National Association of People with Down Syndrome

The actors each tell the expectant mother some of the things her child will be able to do. These include, learning to write, to speak and going to school

‘”I’m expecting a baby. I’ve discovered he has Down syndrome. I’m scared: what kind of life will my child have?”‘

The message goes on to say: ‘Today we reply to her like this.’

The film then shows a group of young people with Down’s syndrome, all of whom address the mother to explain what her child will be able to do.

They say: ‘Dear future mom, don’t be afraid, your child will be able to do many things.

‘He’ll be able to hug you. He’ll be able to run towards you. He’ll be able to speak and tell you he loves you.’

The participants, who speak in a range of European languages, go on: ‘He’ll be able to go to school, like everybody. He’ll be able to learn to write. And he’ll be able to write to you.’

The participants, who speak in a range of European languages, say: ‘He’ll be able to go to school, like everybody. He’ll be able to learn to write. And he’ll be able to write to you’

The actors also explain that the child will be able to work, travel and live independently

The film also acknowledges that bringing up a child with a disability can be difficult but points out that bring up any child comes with many challenges

They conclude: ‘Sometimes it will be difficult. Very difficult. Almost impossible. But isn’t it like that for all mothers?

‘Dear future mom, your child can be happy. Just like I am. And you’ll be happy too.’

Down’s syndrome is a genetic condition that causes some level of learning disability and a characteristic range of physical features.

Most babies with Down’s syndrome are diagnosed shortly after birth and are likely to have reduced muscle tone, eyes that slant upwards, a low birth weight, a small nose and mouth and short fingers.

They also have some degree of learning disability, but this varies widely between children.

The film ends with a message of hope for the expectant mother as the actors explain that her child can be happy, and that she will also be happy

The actors say: ‘Dear future mom, your child can be happy. Just like I am. And you’ll be happy too’

The film is extremely heart-warming and has prompted an outpouring of positive feeling on YouTube

Some children with Down’s syndrome also have associated health problems such as heart disorders, digestive problems, hearing and visual impairments, thyroid dysfunction and blood disorders.

It is one of the most common genetic causes of learning disability and around 750 babies are born with the condition each year in the UK.

It is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in the baby’s cells.

Currently, no one knows what causes the presence of the extra chromosome but Down’s syndrome is more common in children born to older mothers.

For example, if a woman has a baby when she is 25 there is a one in 1,250 chance of her baby having Down’s syndrome, but if a 45-year-old woman has a baby, there is a one in 30 chance of the baby having Down’s syndrome.

The film ends with all of the actors giving their mothers a hug

Comments (84)

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The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Pigeon1983,

London, United Kingdom,

moments ago

I have worked with many down’s syndrome people and they are the sweetest most affectionate souls. I would be more upset if my child was autistic to be honest because they can be violent, uncaring and generally cause way more stress and hurt than a downs child.

htotfalitm,

Seattle, United States,

7 minutes ago

a lot of this video is lies. almost no one with down syndrome is able to get an apartment and live alone, and the majority of them couldn’t hold down any kind of job. most of them are around 4-8 mentally, so i treat them like i’d treat a 4-8 year old. i sure as hell wouldn’t let a 4-8 year old live alone or get a job. i feel bad for the parents who are saddled with this lifelong burden

Oli,

Englishland,

17 minutes ago

Not tears in my eyes, honest… someone is cutting onions… in the office… And er, I yawned as well. Yeah.

SueCB,

Stuttgart, Germany,

19 minutes ago

In this superficial society, just to see the happiness of a DS child , just ‘being’, should make us feel small.

JessicaDevine,

Cheshire,

21 minutes ago

I’d never ever abort my child due to a possibility of downs. I’m currently pregnant and declined all screening apart from my normal scans. No testing on my baby as they will be perfect, wherever form that comes in.

LouisSmash,

Oxford, United Kingdom,

22 minutes ago

OMG this brought a tear to my eye! I pride myself on being a bit of a hard manly man but WOW that was touching

Diana,

Tonbridge,

24 minutes ago

The chance of severe disability is always a possibility, with medical advances she may have a high functioning Downs syndrome baby, she may not, try to be positive though.

Dx,

Home, United Kingdom,

26 minutes ago

So lovely x

Peggy60,

Newcastle, United Kingdom,

31 minutes ago

THANK YOU SPECIAL PEOPLE!!!!

The Futurist,

Chelmsford,

38 minutes ago

I think there needs to be some realism here rather than all the airy-fairy stuff. When my sister unexpectedly gave birth to a daughter with Down’s syndrome it was a huge shock. The nursing staff gave her a booklet of photos of children with Down’s syndrome in it. It upset her so much at that particular time that she asked me to take them away. I kept them, and asked if she’d like them back when her daughter was about four. By that stage she had adjusted to the situation and had long since bonded with her daughter, and hence was able to read them and still has them. Please don’t underestimate the shock that parents can feel when there is something not right with the baby, or when they are expecting a baby that they know has a medical condition of some sort. One size doesn’t fit all.

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Down"s syndrome sufferers send message to mother expecting baby with condition