Happy is the Word on World Down Syndrome Day!

"Happy" is the word of the day because today is World Down Syndrome Day. Jérôme Lejeune, a French geneticist, was the man who discovered the cause of Down Syndrome. Before his discovery, Down Syndrome brought shame, as Mark Bradford at the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation explains:“Thank you, Professor Lejeune, for what you did for my father and my mother.  Because of you, I am proud of myself.” This brief and unplanned eulogy was given at Jérôme Lejeune’s funeral in 1994 by his patient, Bruno, whose karyotype was one of the first to reveal, in 1958, that an extra copy of the 21st chromosome caused Down syndrome. You see, when Bruno was born it was believed that Down syndrome was due to some fault of the parent. Many believed it was caused by a venereal infection, or that it was a curse from God. And so these “mongoloid” children, as they were then called, were kept hidden because they brought shame to their families. In fact, people would even cross the street when they saw them because they feared that what they had might be contagious. When Bruno was a child, those we celebrate today on World Down Syndrome Day were an object of scorn, and a day like this day – World Down Syndrome Day - unthinkable. It was Jérôme Lejeune’s discovery, and his example of profound respect for these priceless children, that first began to move the culture toward acceptance, and, eventually, inclusion in society.The respect that Jérôme Lejeune showed for his patients and...
Source: Mary Meets Dolly - Category: Geneticists and Genetics Commentators Tags: Genetics Source Type: blogs