I've learned so much from the people we've profiled this week. Today's story is about Lauren Sheppard, a senior at Buchholz High School who was crowned Miss Bobcat (that's 3rd place on the homecoming court!) by her peers. Lauren has Down Syndrome. She is beautiful, talented, smart and popular.
When I approached Lauren's parents about this story, they explained how they had worked so hard to keep Lauren included in the regular classroom... even suing a South Florida school board for inclusion. They felt inclusion was criticial to her being accepted by her peers and getting the education they wanted her to have. But even they were surprised when Lauren was elected to the homecoming court. Lauren's Father said "sometimes you ask yourself if it's really worth it, and for this to happen in Lauren's senior year, there's no question."
This story hits close to home for me because my 7 year old daughter has Down Syndrome. She's only in 1st grade, but I already know how challenging it is to balance inclusion and education and find the right "fit" for her each school year. Lauren's story inspires me.
Here are some quick facts about Down Syndrome:
* also called Trisomy 21 because people with DS have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome instead of 2 copies
* all of the characteristics of DS are caused by the extra material on the 21st chromosome
* no one knows what causes it, but the mother's age may be a contributing factor
* a 35 year old woman has a 1 in 400 chance of having a baby with DS, a 45 year old woman has a 1 in 35 chance of having a baby with DS
* All people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses.
* Researchers are making great strides in identifying the genes on Chromosome 21 that cause the characteristics of Down syndrome. Many feel strongly that it will be possible to improve, correct or prevent many of the problems associated with Down syndrome in the future.
* Source: http://www.ndss.org/
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
When Life Throws a Curve
"When Life Throws a Curve" airs Monday through Thursday this week on GTN News. I'm so excited to present this special report for our viewers. Over the years, the number one question people have asked me is "why is the news so negative?" So often, we do report on the most negative things in life.. accidents, deaths and natural disasters... these make up the daily newscast. But I've also found that much good can come from these terrible situations. What happens after the tragedy? These are those stories.
On Monday, we profile Alachua County Sheriff Spokesperson Art Forgey. You usually see Art from the waist up on television, so you may not realize he has a physical disability. Art was in a car accident and lost the use of one leg. He thought his career in law enforcement was over, so he packed up and moved his family across the country and wound up here in Alachua County. Then, Art got a divorce and became a single Dad. Sheriff Sadie Darnell says she's never seen anyone work harder than Art. Art says he was angry during the recovery, but about a year ago he realized if this was the worst thing that ever happened to him then he's not that bad off. Now, he's an inspiration to everyone. If you see him, ask him to show you his superman tattoo!
I love how John Kaplan sums up life "does anyone really have a picture perfect life?" We see so many people in the media who appear to have everything going for them, but in reality, everyone has some problems. It's how they triumph over those problems that matters. John is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer who teaches at UF's College of Journalism. Things were going great when he got the diagnosis no one wants to hear...cancer. John turned the camera on himself and the result is an amazing documentary that is giving hope to others. Watch the report Tuesday and Wednesday, and log onto http://www.notasipictured.org/ to learn more.
On Thursday, a story that hits close to home for my family.... but I'll tell you more about that on Thursday!
I hope you are as inspired by these people as I am.
On Monday, we profile Alachua County Sheriff Spokesperson Art Forgey. You usually see Art from the waist up on television, so you may not realize he has a physical disability. Art was in a car accident and lost the use of one leg. He thought his career in law enforcement was over, so he packed up and moved his family across the country and wound up here in Alachua County. Then, Art got a divorce and became a single Dad. Sheriff Sadie Darnell says she's never seen anyone work harder than Art. Art says he was angry during the recovery, but about a year ago he realized if this was the worst thing that ever happened to him then he's not that bad off. Now, he's an inspiration to everyone. If you see him, ask him to show you his superman tattoo!
I love how John Kaplan sums up life "does anyone really have a picture perfect life?" We see so many people in the media who appear to have everything going for them, but in reality, everyone has some problems. It's how they triumph over those problems that matters. John is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer who teaches at UF's College of Journalism. Things were going great when he got the diagnosis no one wants to hear...cancer. John turned the camera on himself and the result is an amazing documentary that is giving hope to others. Watch the report Tuesday and Wednesday, and log onto http://www.notasipictured.org/ to learn more.
On Thursday, a story that hits close to home for my family.... but I'll tell you more about that on Thursday!
I hope you are as inspired by these people as I am.
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