Ailis Cullinan-Keown, School Improvement Team and Health & Wellbeing Champion has set up a fantastic initiative “Little Hands” raising awareness, providing accurate information and celebrating Down Syndrome!

Keep reading to hear more about her beautiful daughter Tess and how we can get involved on 21st March to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day

Tess has just turned 18 months old and is loved and pestered in equal measures by her older brother Peadar, aged 3. Tess and Peadar adore each other really and can usually be found wreaking havoc in the kitchen, with every toy dragged out from the play room.

Tess loves to eat and is a real carnivore, like her Daddy, hunting out every morsel of meat in her dinner before she will deign to eat anything else. She feeds herself with a really good level of independence but has little regard for cutlery; it only slows her down in her opinion!

Tess loves music and is quite the mover, bopping around to anything from songs by Justin Fletcher to classics from Creedence Clearwater Revival! Oh yes, and Tess has Down Syndrome.

Tess is an absolute hoot. Her wee smile when she wakes brightens every single morning and we are so, so glad that she is ours.

We even created “Little Hands”, an initiative to celebrate DS and provide accurate and positive information for everyone. We truly believe that there is no limit to what Tess can achieve in her life and we are so excited to be part of that adventure! We really are the lucky few!

World Down Syndrome Day

World Down Syndrome Day takes place on 21st March each year, referring to the genetics of Down Syndrome- 3 copies of chromosome 21.

We are encouraging people to walk or run 3 miles or 3 kilometres on 21st March as part of our “3,21 Go!” initiative and share this on their social media in order to raise awareness of Down Syndrome and the importance of inclusion.

So get those trainers on, grab the rest of your family and get physically and socially active in promoting awareness and acceptance of differences!