While sharing stories and pictures was fun, we also started on a mission of greater importance: spreading awareness of health disparities within our own community. Thanks to Global Down Syndrome Foundation's national spokesperson, Beverly Johnson, the huge difference in life expectancy for people of color who have Down syndrome and Caucasian people with Ds was reported in mainstream media.
"There's a remarkable disparity between children of color who get Down syndrome — life expectancy is age 23 — and non-black children with Down syndrome — life expectancy is 63 years old,"
More Research is Needed
"Non-Hispanic black children with Down syndrome were twice as likely to die during childhood and adolescence compared to Non-Hispanic white children with Down syndrome." (Dec. 2012)
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Helen Keller