Every year on March 21, we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, a day “created to celebrate the lives of people with Down syndrome and to make sure they have the same freedoms and opportunities as everybody else.”
But it’s also a day to create awareness of the fact that people with Down syndrome are human beings created in the image and likeness of God and have endless potential.
Catherine and Andrew Daub understand these truths and have been champions for their son Will since he was born with Down syndrome in 2020.
Team Iron Will
In 2019, Catherine and Andrew discovered that they were expecting their eighth child, and tests showed that he had a 99% chance of having Down syndrome. Catherine explained that they weren’t as afraid of the Down syndrome diagnosis as they were about how others would treat their son. They knew then that they would have to spend the rest of their lives advocating for him.
And once they realized this, they jumped into their advocacy with both feet. Will was born in 2020 and immediately faced numerous medical complications. Catherine and Andrew found themselves navigating a medical system that was often unfriendly to people with Down syndrome, but they never backed down when trying to solve his medical problems or when making sure he received the best possible treatment. When their concerns were dismissed, they continually searched for answers until they found them. And in so doing, they discovered a network of knowledgeable friends and medical professionals who helped champion their son alongside them.
When Will needed therapy equipment, people within the DS community stepped up to help finance it or donated some of their own. This caused Catherine and Andrew think about the vast needs within the Down syndrome community, and that’s when they decided to create Team Iron Will. Their goal now is to champion “the intrinsic value of people with Down syndrome” by assisting families who need help with obtaining medical or therapy equipment and by advocating for and educating families and the public about the possibilities of people with Down syndrome.
Since Team Iron Will’s inception, its impact has grown exponentially. In just the last three years, it has supported 3,926 families in 37 countries, delivered 374 pieces of life-changing equipment and family resources, granted 141 therapy scholarships, reached over 123 million people online with stories of dignity and hope, and provided 365 developmental and educational tools.
Additionally, in 2025, TIW launched its Champion Possibility campaign “to encourage a shift in how individuals with Down syndrome are seen, supported, and celebrated.” As TIW explains, “Through storytelling, community engagement, and advocacy, the campaign calls others to choose hope over fear, see possibility instead of limitations, celebrate every victory—no matter how small—and actively support individuals with Down syndrome as they pursue full, meaningful lives. At its heart, Champion Possibility is about standing alongside individuals and families, cheering them on every step of the way.”
Catherine explains that when we support and encourage people with Down syndrome, we not only help them reach their potential, but we help them see that the sky is the limit on what they can accomplish. At its core, championing possibility is about helping people see the dignity of those with Down syndrome and creating a world where they are not seen as burdens but as beloved.
It’s a change in mindset that she and Andrew are hoping spreads far and wide, and to help this narrative shift, they are asking young people to share their thoughts and make their voices heard.
Advocacy essay contest
Now through March 27, students in middle school through college can enter Team Iron Will’s Down Syndrome Advocacy Essay Contest to articulate their thoughts and beliefs about the beauty of people with Down syndrome and to win some awesome prizes.
Through age-appropriate prompts, students can write about a variety of topics. Prompts include what society would look like if we saw individuals with Down syndrome through a lens of courage, joy, and possibility; common myths about Down syndrome and how choosing hope over fear can transform individuals and communities; what it means to define someone by their humanity rather than a diagnosis; how lowered expectations shape outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome; and more.
This contest is a beautiful way for students to develop an understanding that a diagnosis does not define our worth as human beings. Once students gain this knowledge, they can then go evangelize others. And that’s a huge part in creating change in a world that sees only fear when it comes to a Down syndrome diagnosis.
Indeed, the statistics are tragic: In the US, nearly 70% of babies who are diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome are aborted. In other countries, this percentage is much higher. Many countries seek to eradicate Down syndrome by eradicating people, so it is incumbent on us to teach the truth that regardless of ability, every person has immeasurable worth simply because we all exist. We are human beings from the very first moment of creation, and we all deserve protection.
This fear-based mindset can only change when we talk about the facts rather than run away from and hide behind the myths. It can only change when parents encourage their children to see beyond outward appearances and abilities and look at the core of each person. And it can only change when each of us stands up for every single vulnerable person we encounter.
These are the lessons that Catherine and Andrew hope to impart to others, and they pray every day for their son and others with Down syndrome who are discarded before birth or disregarded and misunderstood after birth. They want the world to know that true joy cannot be found in material things but in who we are as individuals.
To learn more about the contest and to see prizes and prompts, visit teamironwill.org/essaycontest2026.
This article first appeared in Catholic World Report at catholicworldreport.com/2026/03/03/team-iron-will-championing-awareness-and-possibility-for-the-down-syndrome-community.
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