JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three Jacksonville girls were in the spotlight in New York City Saturday after they were featured in the annual video presentation in Times Square through the National Down Syndrome Society.
Hazel and Tessa, both 3 years old, were among those featured in the video.
They were diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth.
Jennifer Jones, a close friend of both girls’ families, said this moment is a big deal not only for them -- but so many others.
“We have so much joy, we have so much love. It is something to celebrate. It is something to be excited about. It is not something to be sad about or to pity us. We do not want that at all. We want everyone to know that we are good. We want you to accept us our kids,” Jones said.
Macy, who’s 1 year old and from Jacksonville, was also in the spotlight in Times Square.
The National Down Syndrome Society said it takes pride in doing this big presentation every year — mainly for visibility — highlighting those with Down syndrome and continuing to empower them.
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This year, Times Square featured people from all 50 states and 14 different countries, children, teenagers, and adults.
For Jones, this showcase in Times Square is familiar to her, as her now 6-year-old son Hudson was featured twice back in 2020 and 2021.
“Sometimes people think that a child with Down syndrome or an adult with Down syndrome is going to live like a burdened life that is not fun. They are thinking that the parents are weighed down by this. That it just eats their life of joy,” Jones said. “When you see this video and all of the kids that they show, there is no way that you can feel that anymore because you see the love and the joy and the families just cheering them on. It is just validation for us to show that we are not living burdened lives.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are about 200,000 people in the U.S. diagnosed with Down syndrome right now. And, an estimated 6,000 babies are born with it every year in America, which equals about 1 in every 700 babies.
Jones shared a message for anyone who saw the presentation, whether in person or online.
“We don’t need anybody’s sympathy. We just want your welcome and your inclusion and your love because we have a lot to give,” Jones said. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of, or to be scared of, or intimidated by. Just get to know somebody with Down syndrome, get to know a family that has someone with Down syndrome in it, and it would just change your world. It just puts a clear perspective on what love means, what inclusion means. It has changed my family’s life in so many ways.”
After this story was written, News4JAX was informed that 11-year-old Dawson from Middleburg was featured in the presentation.
Blake Martinez, an 11-year-old student at Kernan Middle School, was also featured in Times Square.
That presentation kicked off the annual “New York City Buddy Walk” that has happened every year in Central Park since 1995.