YAKIMA, Wash.- The Yakima Children’s Village and local families are celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month and their loved ones they care for daily.
“It’s a way to get the word out and donate to the Children’s Village and to Buddy Walk to support people with Down syndrome and get educated,” says Melia Younker, the founder of Yakima’s Buddy Walk after her daughter with Down syndrome was born.
According to the CDC, over 5,000 babies are born with Down syndrome every year. Though the severity may differ, many are able to enter the work force, and function on their own.
“They are our neighbors, they’re our kids, they’re our family members and they are our employees,” says Tracie Hoppis from the Children’s Village Family Support Services. “Everyone’s different and we want to celebrate and make sure people with Down syndrome know they are such an important part of our lives.”
The community of caregivers at the walk is powered by the Children’s Village work in the Parent to Parent program. Even for experienced parents, a child with Down syndrome can present new challenges.
“Everything’s super delayed for people with Down syndrome,” says Younker. “Learning to walk, learning to speak, learning to read, learning to do everything. Everything you can imagine takes years instead of months. The long-term fatigue of caring for someone with Down syndrome is lingering, but also that long-term excitement and love and every little accomplishment is a huge milestone.”
Families say the unity of people in their same situation brings a sense of normalcy, many used to being the center of attention.
“I’m raising our kids in a community where people are staring but don’t really know what to say or how to react,” says Younker.
Younker and the other parents all hope for their children to be treated just as anyone else.
