October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a month to celebrate those with Down Syndrome, break down barriers, and foster inclusion and connections. In honor of this important month, we sat down with Paula DeMichiel, our Administrative Program Coordinator, who is the mother of Danny, a 13-year-old with Down Syndrome. Paula describes Danny, the youngest of four children, as funny, kind, and hard-working, with a love for dogs and horses.
Paula and Danny recently attended the 2024 Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk, an annual walk hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut. Paula highlights how rewarding the event was; not just in the joy of seeing children proudly cross the finish line and receive their well-deserved medals, but in the connections made between children and other families. “It is helpful to have other people walking in your shoes,” Paula tells us.
When asked what Down Syndrome Awareness means to her, Paula answers simply: “I don’t know what it means to me or our family, because it’s just a normal part of our life.” Paula emphasizes that though Danny has different needs than her other children, he is not treated any differently. What Paula would like to see most for the future of Down Syndrome Awareness, though, is inclusion, especially from other children in school. “Make friends with someone who is different from you. At school, if someone is different from you, befriend them, include them, talk to them,” she advises.
Although Danny’s Down Syndrome is a normal part of her family’s everyday life, Paula acknowledges how it has shaped her life, specifically, in igniting her passion to work at the UConn UCEDD—“It’s why I’m here every day, not just for my son, but for all the children out there. I feel honored to be a part of the UConn UCEDD.”