On March 21, 2012, we witnessed the birth of something truly impactful to families and to communities, and now every year on that date we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. This day of global awareness reminds the world how precious and special people with Down syndrome are and how we must be their voice so that they can grow to their full potential.
Every year’s WDSD celebration offers a different theme, and this year, knowing that throughout the world, people with Down syndrome are frequently denied quality educations, healthcare, a chance to earn their own income, and the tools they need to thrive, advocates are calling “on all governments to improve [their] support systems.”
This is a monumental task but one whose outcomes have unlimited benefits.
We know that these support systems are often lacking because of fear, ignorance, and misinformation. That’s why it takes advocates all over the world to effect change. They are making their voices heard in their homes, workplaces, and communities because they know that that is a crucial part of making global changes. You have to plant a seed to grow the fruit.
Advocates understand that we need better education, better laws and policies, more help for families, and assistance for people with Down syndrome as they grow up and move toward greater independence. All of these things will go a long way to helping families and people with Down syndrome better navigate the world.
Team Iron Will
Cathy Daub, mother of eight, including a four-year-old with Down syndrome, has become a fiercely brave advocate for her son. When she first found out that Will had a 99% chance of having DS, she didn’t fear welcoming him into her family, she didn’t fear loving him, and she didn’t fear how her other children would react. She feared how the world would treat him. So she began to research, and this research led her to the vast Down syndrome community—a community filled with people who not only shared the immense joy their children bring to their lives but who offer help and advice through the unique struggles that their families face.
And as Will grew and encountered medical problems, it was this community that stepped up to assist her family, even providing them with much-needed therapy equipment that helped Will progress in both strength and skill. She and her husband were able to ask questions, seek advice, and educate themselves so they could be the best possible advocates for Will. Soon they began not only advocating for Will in doctors’ offices and in their community but nationally through webinars, Instagram posts, and community events.
From this advocacy, Team Iron Will was born “to support, encourage, and advocate for individuals with Down syndrome as they discover their God-given potential.” And now Team Iron Will is giving back by helping families get the therapy equipment they need but cannot afford.
The Daub family is doing what those leading World Down Syndrome Day are encouraging governments to do: take care of those with special needs and help them reach their potential.
Cathy explained that in 2024 and thus far into 2025, Team Iron Will has reached over 1,000 families through online educational webinars and has helped 309 families with material resources and therapy scholarships. This is an amazing achievement.
Last year, Team Iron Will created an awesome awareness video, so I asked Cathy how she and her family will be celebrating World Down Syndrome Day this year. She excitedly explained that they will all wear their mismatched socks that are a staple of WDSD and that they will shout the worth of their friends with DS in person and on social media. She also explained that they are launching an updated Team Iron Will website and refocusing their efforts more toward advocacy that begins in utero.
Today’s eugenics
Cathy understands the tragedy that, in the majority of cases where babies are diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome, the parents choose to abort them. In the US, estimates of abortion of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome range from 60-90%. But in other countries, it’s much higher. In Iceland, that number is nearly 100%, while in Denmark it’s 98% and Australia is about 90%.
It is likely that the majority of the women choose to abort their babies out of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of what their child may face, or fear of being unable to handle the child’s special needs. Many women tell stories of how their doctors pressure them to abort, calling their children “burdens” or scaring them into thinking that their family will be unable to handle a child with Down syndrome or even that this new miracle will “ruin” their family.
It is indeed today’s genocide.
Team Iron Will wants to change this mindset and to help people understand that people with Down syndrome are gifts to cherish and protect.
So as WDSD approaches, Cathy offers advice for new parents of children with Down syndrome. She encourages them to “just love their children” and says:
Medical professionals like to scare new parents by telling them all the things that can go wrong if you have DS, but the truth is that there’s so much more that can and will go right. Will opens our eyes more every day to a beauty that I never realized existed. He’s taught us to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. He’s taught us to rejoice in little and big accomplishments. He’s taught us to love with reckless unconditional love, to see the humanity in others even when we don’t agree, and to persevere through hard things with grace and hope.
We were told he’d take longer to learn everything, and by the world’s standards that’s probably true. But truthfully, he’s the teacher. We are the students, and we are the ones who took longer to learn what truly matters. I think people with Down syndrome hold the key to living a life of happiness. And we are thankful and humbled that God has allowed us the honor of raising Will and walking beside him through life.
This World Down Syndrome Day, let us all learn to see people with Down syndrome through Cathy’s eyes and through the eyes of countless mothers and fathers who share her love and wisdom. And let us then lend our voices to our communities so that change and support on a global scale will become a reality and not just a dream.
This article first appeared in Catholic World Report at catholicworldreport.com/2025/03/18/world-down-syndrome-day-and-the-fight-for-love-and-life.
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