Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day

Today, thousands across the world wore mismatched socks in honor of World Down Syndrome Awareness Day. The day is meant to highlight people who have been diagnosed with Down Syndrome and bring awareness to the challenges they must overcome, as well as their achievements. Tonight, we highlight eleven-year-old Zayne Craig, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth and worked along with his former teacher to create a storybook all about himself.  Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with that story.

 

Zayne Craig, Standard Three Student, B.E.S.

“Hi, I am Zayne. I am ten years old. My mom says that I am a big boy. I am a special boy. Are you a special boy or are you a girl? Hi, I am Zayne and I am a special boy. My favorite color is blue. Blue for boy. Do you like blue or do you like purple?”

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Like many others across the world, life for eleven-year-old Zayne Craig looks a little different from the average person’s experience. Currently, Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder with roughly six million people diagnosed worldwide. Today, in honor of those six million people, the world celebrates Down Syndrome Awareness Day and as part of the celebrations, many donned mismatched socks. Zayne’s mother, Marisela Craig, explained the meaning behind the socks.

 

Marisela Heredia Craig, Zayne’s mother

“Today is March twenty-first. Every year, March twenty-first, they celebrate World Down Syndrome Day because forty-six chromosomes. Children like Zane or adults like Zane, have an extra chromosome of the twenty-first century. So they have a triplicate of that, hence March twenty-first. And so, the reason why they choose socks is because the socks looks just like chromosomes. And so, the crazy socks is to show support acceptance and advocacy for down syndrome.”

 

Craig said It is important to create awareness, advocacy, acceptance, and inclusions in communities to show that even though children like Zayne may be a little bit different, they are and still able to participate and socialize in the community. She said that there are several interests Zayne enjoys and excels in.

 

Marisela Heredia Craig

“Zayne is very witty. He has an unusual sense of humor. He brings a lot of laughter to our house, a lot of laughter, I believe, to the classroom as well. Two, he loves everything blue. His whole world is blue. Zayne, is interested in animals. Any animal you probably name, he knows something about that animal. He recently started with karate, doing well there. He loves riding his bike. playing football. Just about everything else. He loves doing puzzles he can. You can show down four different puzzles mixed up together and being well separate them and says, not Peppa Pig, not Paw Patrol and he can separate them out and like that. So he, really loves the challenge of a puzzle as well too.”

 

According to Zayne, his favorite color is blue, which is why when creating a book all about Zayne, his former teacher, decided to make the book blue.

 

Amber Tillett-Lopez, Zayne’s former teacher

“So, creating the book with Zayne was pretty easy, I would say, because I spent a lot of time interacting with him in the classroom. And I decided to do it in a first-person perspective because I wanted the readers to kind of hear his voice whenever they are reading it to have a little peek into what his world looks like because our world is one thing and Zayne’s world is blue. Zayne’s world is filled with animals and dinosaurs, and I think it’s very important for us to be aware that even though Zayne might not look exactly like other people or other students.”

 

Craig further explained that navigating life with Down Syndrome and being a mother supporting her child through the process, is difficult at times. But she and her family try to look for the positives in every situation and champion moments of accessibility and support for Zayne rather than the negative comments or isolation they may face on occasion. One aspect of Zayne’s life that Craig has found success in adapting, is his school schedule.

 

Marisela Heredia Craig

“I will not tell you that I was open up from early on to the accommodations and the modifications for him because I fell in that rabbit hole just like every other parent and wanting him to do what everybody else was doing. So first I had to accept that. When I accepted that, then it became much easier. So Zane does not come from 8 to 3 like everybody else. His program is modified. I had an aid last year because it helped. Initially it helped with him sitting down and doing the work and actually writing for him, but now he’s more involved. He’s writing his own notes now. Zane is making presentations in class now. He’s engaging with the students more and the students are engaging with him more. So, everything now is falling into place for me.”

 

As part of his accommodations, Zayne works with classroom aid, Irma Skeen, who says that working with Zayne has been a wonderful experience because she learns from Zayne just as much as he learns for her.

 

Irma Skeen, Zayne’s Aid Assistant

“Well, with Zayne, he can read and he does a lot.  He has his own method of doing things. And not only that I am learning with him, but he teaches me as well. So, it is very wonderful to work with him. And, working with a, with somebody like him, it is awesome because, as his mom and the teacher says, that he has his own idea and his own things. And, as a mom and a grandparent also, I learn from him. So, working with someone very special like him gives me that pleasure, and he has changed a lot in my life also, so. It’s wonderful, right?”

 

Zayne showed off his book to us, explaining that it was filled with all his favorite things, which included his family, who are his greatest support system.

 

Britney Gordon

“What’s that that you’re holding?”

 

Zayne Craig

“My book. It’s all about me.”

 

Britney Gordon

“It’s all about you? Can you show me some pictures?”

 

Zayne Craig

“Yup, I’ll show you some pictures.”

 

Britney Gordon

“So, did you create this book with your teacher?”

 

Zayne Craig

“Yes.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Why did you want to create a book?”

 

Zayne Craig

“I get reading.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Do you like to read?”

 

Zayne Craig

“Yeah.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Okay, that’s great.”

 

Zayne Craig

“And this is my family. It’s me, my dad, my mommy, and my sister.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.