Mothers of kids with Down syndrome want the world to know that they “wouldn’t change a thing.”
A group of 50 moms in the United Kingdom collaborated to create a moving lip-sync video for World Down Syndrome Day. The dedicated mothers are members of a Facebook group known as “Designer Genes,” which is a space created for parents of kids who have Down syndrome and were born in 2013 and 2014. The group made the video to show the world just how ordinary, yet amazing, their four- and five-year-old children are.
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The video was shot in the now popular “carpool karaoke” style and features the moms with their kids in the front seat of their respective family cars. The group got the idea for the video from a U.K. organization called Singing Hands, who’ve helped many of their members learn “Makaton.”
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Makaton is a form of language designed to help hearing people with learning or communication difficulties. This form of communication uses signs, symbols, and speech to support children’s communication development.
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The video aims to let the world know that these kids are just like any other youngster, they just happen to have an extra chromosome.
Singer Christina Perri allowed the use of her song “A Thousand Years,” and the group edited together clips of each mom and her children singing and using Makaton. The song is incredibly moving on its own – it’s about loving another person for a thousand years.
As we know, a mother’s love is timeless and endless, so it’s a perfect fit.
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I have died everyday, waiting for you
Darling, don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I’ll love you for a thousand more.
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This brief glimpse into the lives of these special families swings between sweet and funny. All of the kids seem to be thoroughly enjoying spending some time singing with mom in the car, and they’re all just plain adorable!
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If the goal was to illustrate how absolutely normal these kids are, mission accomplished!
It’s nearly impossible to watch the video without tearing up at these sweet boys and girls. This is another terrific step forward in advancing the fact that there’s nothing “wrong” with kids who have Down syndrome. They’re just like every other kid, except they’ve got “designer genes.”
Watch the beautiful video below, and be sure to share.
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