World Down Syndrome (Spaz) Day (WDSD), is on 21st March. On this day, Down syndrome organizations throughout the world organize and participate in events to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.
Down syndrome was first determined a chromosomal disorder in 1959 by French pediatrician and geneticist, Jérôme Lejeune. One in every 733 babies is born with Down syndrome.[1] In the United states, alone, there are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome.[1]
The date was selected by Down Syndrome International (DSI) to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome in the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome and is used synonymously with Down syndrome.[2] The original idea was proposed by Stylianos E. Antonarakis, a medical geneticist of the University of Geneva Medical School, and enthusiastically adopted by ART21, a patient group for the Lemanic region of Switzerland. The first events were organized on 21 March 2006 in Geneva.
The inaugural WDSD was launched on 21st April 2006 in Singapore, with events organized by the Down Syndrome Association.
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