‘Rock your socks, but aid Down Syndrome cause’

The Rock Your Socks campaign to encourage the wearing of multicoloured socks continues to be successful in raising awareness about Down Syndrome, but businesses have been warned not to capitalise on World Down Syndrome Day merely for commercial benefit.

President of the Barbados Down Syndrome Association, Asha Alleyne-Renwick said the campaign has helped to raise funds for the association and its activities while gaining the attention of “the entire society” about life for people living with Down Syndrome.

But, she told Barbados TODAY at a Rock Your Socks event at The Erdiston Special School, Pine Hill, St Michael that merchants – individuals and business places – still sell socks for the campaign without donating proceeds to the cause.

“We want to appeal to them once again this year that this is not a fashion show, it is a United Nations Day dedicated to people with Down Syndrome. So we are wearing the socks and merchants are making sales because of our members with Down Syndrome. Members are speaking out and want to see that support from business places in terms of giving back to the association on this day,” she said.

Alleyne-Renwick stressed that the funds are used to assist many of the association’s members who often suffer from a multitude of health problems.

She said: “Half of babies born with Down Syndrome do have a heart defect, people with Down Syndrome are more prone to early-onset leukaemia to childhood leukaemia, Alzheimer’s disease; they deal with thyroid conditions [and] skin conditions. So there are many challenges involved when it comes to Down Syndrome.

“That said, with the adequate support we can achieve what we are trying to achieve which is allowing individuals with Down Syndrome to live their best possible lives and fulfil their potential.”

The association president expressed satisfaction with the support of the public and parents of children with Down Syndrome.

“We see people coming out rocking their socks, and of course they are talking about Down Syndrome and they want to become aware of the condition. We are very happy for the support because advocacy is key. We want to congratulate our parents this year for really speaking up and advocating on behalf of their children, because through advocacy comes change, and change is what we need to see if we want the lives of people with Down Syndrome to really improve in Barbados,” she said.

Alleyne-Renwick also described as a “huge victory” the Ministry of People Empowerment’s confirmation that it had added people with disabilities to the list of people eligible for non-contributory pensions.

“This year’s theme for the Month of the Disabled [is] One Community – United in Action, and we need to see the community come together, advocate together, and receive the benefits together. So we are very happy, us here in the Down Syndrome Association, to hear Down Syndrome listed as one of the disabilities that will indeed receive government assistance,” she said.

The principal of the Erdiston Special School, Donna Holder, who expressed delight in seeing children wear the special socks for the day, disclosed that the school had recently added a young person with Down Syndrome to assist the teachers.

“I found Alyssa to be such an endearing young lady. She had a beautiful skill set, she was really good with arts and craft, and I found she was very responsible. So I had a conversation with the mom [and said] when the school term starts, let’s see what we can do in terms of getting her to come over and help.

“She started to come [for] a couple days; she wanted to be here every day, and we welcomed her with open arms. So now she is one of our school assistants. Everyone loves her and she works very well with the younger children,” the principal said.

She added: “I think that Alyssa should be an inspiration to others to get out there, and let people know that they are capable and they want to be involved.” (SB)