Caribbean News
JAMAICA: Overcoming Down’s Syndrome
#Jamaica, March 21, 2018 – Kingston – March 21 is observed annually as World Down’s Syndrome Day and is used to heighten awareness about the condition as well as highlight the positive contributions that can be made by persons living with it. The chromosomal abnormality affects one in every seven hundred (700) babies born each year.
Statistics have shown that the risk of children being born with the condition increases in cases where mothers are over age 35. The condition occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down’s syndrome.
“Genetically, our cells are made up of 22 pairs of chromosomes; an error in cell division called nondisjunction results in a reproductive cell with an abnormal number of chromosomes,” Paediatric Cardiologist, Dr. Charmaine Scott, tells JIS News.
The condition, she further explains, can be detected during gestation by conducting a test referred to as amniocentesis, where amniotic fluid is sampled using a hollow needle inserted into the uterus to screen for any abnormalities in the developing fetus.
For Judith Richards, whose daughter, Jada Richards, has the abnormality, news came a day after she was born in 2005, when the physician examining the youngster asked her to take the child for further assessments. Dr. Scott confirmed Jada’s condition following diagnosis of the symptoms and her condition. This marked the beginning of a new and unfamiliar journey for second-time parents, Radcliffe and Judith Richards.
Jada was found to have a heart condition called atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) and required urgent surgery, which was scheduled for January of 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The surgery was undertaken to close a hole in her heart and to divide a single pulmonary vein to create a second that would lead oxygenated blood to the lungs.
“Jada was slightly blue when she was born. The doctor said that it was caused by a lack of oxygenated blood flowing to the lungs,” Mrs. Richards explains.
Following the surgery, Jada’s condition improved significantly under the watchful eyes of her parents; older brother, Radj, who was eight at the time of her birth; and doctors, who monitored her developmental progress. Although it took Jada almost two years to learn how to walk and about five to start speaking relatively fluently, she remained bubbly and full of life.
“I would put her feet on mine and walk with her as a means of modelling for her to catch on,” Mrs. Richards points out.
A physiotherapist was assigned to assist Jada with muscle development, as soft or weak muscles are also a common trait of Down’s syndrome. Despite functioning at the level of a six-year-old, Jada is now a very independent and fun-loving 12-year-old who attends the Windsor School of Special Education in May Pen Clarendon, where she is in grade Seven.
“She is doing very well in school; I went to a parents’ meeting at her school and the teachers are very impressed with her progress, and she has a very positive attitude,” says Mrs. Richards, who is Principal of Alley Primary School in the parish.
Mrs. Richards further said that in her spare time, Jada is a very creative make-up artist who demonstrates her skills on her dolls as well as her face.
“She watches the make-up videos on YouTube and replicates whatever she sees in the tutorial, and she has fun doing this. It is one of her favourite pastimes as well as modelling,” Mrs. Richards tells JIS News.
Many persons with Down’s syndrome struggle with a range of ailments that sometimes include respiratory illness, hearing impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, childhood leukemia and thyroid conditions. Jada has, however, been fortunate to have fairly good health after overcoming her initial heart condition.
Mrs. Richards is currently a board member of the Down’s syndrome Foundation and is instrumental in coaching parents whose children have Down’s syndrome. She encourages them to accept that their youngsters are different and seek early intervention, while including them in daily activities.
“They have their own contributions to make to society, and if we exercise the patience that is necessary to facilitate this, we would sometimes be amazed,” Mrs. Richards points out.
By: Stacy-Ann Delevante
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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