When Life Throws You a Curve... "Miss Bobcat"

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/