Thursday (3/21) we celebrated World Down Syndrome Day and I received Jack’s Basket just in time. Jack’s Basket is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating babies born with Down Syndrome and providing support and resources to their families. If you can, donate to this wonderful cause for beautiful babies like Joshua! Visit Jack’s Basket to learn more!
Who knows why Down syndrome occurs?
Why does the extra 21st chromosome stick to the cell when the fertilized egg begins its first cell division?
It can be compared to what happens in nature to a field of clovers. Usually, we see 3 leaves on each clover.
Once in a while, however, we find a clover that has an extra leaf – making it a four-leaf clover. We don’t know why Mother Nature decided to add that extra leaf; she just did.
There is no obvious explanation – all of the clover plants grew in the same soil, were exposed to the same sun and rain, etc. Mother Nature just decided to add an extra leaf to one of the clovers in the clover patch.
This doesn’t make it better or not as good as the other clover – it just makes it different. Some people even believe it brings a person good luck when they find a four-leaf clover.
It is much the same way with the extra chromosome. We don’t know why Mother Nature didn’t let the cell divide evenly, but she didn’t. She decided to add another chromosome to that baby’s cells.
It doesn’t make the baby better or not as good as the other babies, it just makes him or her different. And if you find one of those babies, you are truly lucky for they are very special babies who grow into very special people.
-Author unknown
