In the News

High School Football Player with Down Syndrome Scores Touchdown!

St. Peter-Marian High football coach Tom Henrickson received more than 120 calls and text messages on his cellphone by 4:30 p.m. yesterday.  Kate Myshrall's cellphone rang so often at work she had to turn it off. One of the calls came from a friend she hadn't seen since she graduated from Springfield College 27 years ago.  They were all touched by the story of Myshrall's son, Patrick, who has Down syndrome, and how he scored a touchdown in the final minutes of a 33-6 home victory over Doherty High Friday night. 

To read the entire story, click HERE.

Unlikely Homecoming King?

Monday, October 24th, 2011

By Jacqueline Burt

Consider this story your official antidote to the usual youth-gone-wild, terrible teen tales to make headlines. Kids at Urbana High School in Maryland made a surprisingly kind, shockingly mature choice when they crowned their homecoming king last week. Turning the notion of homecoming as a shallow popularity contest on its head, they voted fellow student Kevin Schombert as king. 

Kevin manages Urbana High's basketball team and is known for having tons of school spirit, which makes him the obvious choice.

But he also has Down syndrome, which makes him a less obvious choice.

To read then entire article, click HERE.

To read more on this story, click HERE.

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

By Baylee Molloy, Senior Writer for The Cavalier Daily, UVA

The University Health System and 27 other participating universities published a study last week about a new, noninvasive prenatal blood test which can detect Down syndrome in a fetus.  The test, which was released in 20 metropolitan regions last week, can reduce the need for risky diagnostic procedures which may put the health of the mother and the fetus at risk.  The study, published in the journal "Genetics in Medicine," found that a noninvasive method using blood tests may be a safer alternative to the normal screening process, said Glenn Palomaki, a lead researcher on the study and senior research associate in the division of biology and medicine at Brown University. "There is no other test like this," Palomaki said, "It may delay things for a week, but it is extremely reliable."

To read the entire article, click HERE.

Monday, October 17th, 2011

By Kim Hone-McMahan

It was in the recovery room at Akron City Hospital that Meghan and Matt Wilkinson learned the news. Doctors suspected their newborn identical twins had Down syndrome.

Meghan needed some time alone. After several attempts, she finally convinced her family to go get a bite to eat. That's when she broke down. She prayed that the diagnosis was wrong. But she quickly discovered that it really didn't matter; she had already fallen deeply in love with her boys. Besides, she reasoned, Down syndrome was just a small part of what defined them - her "miracle men."

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a perfect time to introduce you to the Wilkinsons and other inspiring children with DS and their parents.