‘Children with Down syndrome can live a normal life with family and society’s support’

Children with Down syndrome can live a normal life with the support of their families and society, as the average life expectancy of persons with this genetic disorder in the developed countries is around 60 years, experts said and called for empathy and support for children born with the chromosomal abnormality.

“Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This abnormality results in some developmental changes and physical features of Down syndrome, but with help and support, these children can live a normal life,” Fatima Farooqui, an official of the Karachi Down Syndrome Program (KDSP), said on Friday.

Children with Down syndrome had a fun evening at Pearl-Continental Hotel Karachi where they had been invited along with their parents as special guests to paint, sing, dance and eat. Top management of the hotel, including its General Manager Muhammad Tariq Deen, Marketing Manager Reesham Naqvi, Chief Medical Officer Dr Amin Kharadi and the manger, welcomed the children and their parents at the hotel.

Fatima Farooqui who is awareness manager at the KDSP, said their organisation was helping hundreds of parents having children with Down syndrome to live a normal life by providing family support, awareness, physical, speech and occupational therapies as well as health services to these children.

“PC Hotel approached us and invited children with Down syndrome to their place in Karachi to have fun at their place. This arrangement gave confidence to these children as they enjoyed the activities, including painting, dancing, singing and eating,” she said and urged the society to help these children in living a normal life.

General Manager PC Hotel Muhammad Tariq Deen said they have invited children with Down syndrome as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to support the community, adding that their group of companies was supporting various segments of the society, including groups and institutions that were working for the differently-abled children and persons.

Parents of the children with Down syndrome were delighted that they along with their children had been invited by a top hotel, as normally they had to restrain their children, who behaved differently from other children. They said it would give confidence to their children to take part in routine activities.

Reesham Naqvi, the marketing manager at the PC Hotel, said they were delighted to host the children with Down syndrome, who were having fun at their place. She vowed to continue such activities in future to which a large number of children along with their parents would

be invited.