Kathy Ireland: The Tragic Shortfall in Down Syndrome Research
Three months ago, my niece Polly was born. In the short time since, she’s already undergone one extensive surgery to repair two holes in heart. And we’ve now learned that she has one additional opening on her heart that may or may not close without further surgery.
Like one out of every 800 babies born in the U.S., Polly has Down syndrome. But despite the fact that DS is a top genetic issue, perhaps the top genetic issue in the country, funding for it has been consistently reduced. This year, the National Institutes of Health expects to spend just $19 million on Down syndrome research — less than 0.01 percent of its research budget, and less money than it plans to spend studying attention deficit disorder ($73 million), youth violence ($114 million), smallpox ($96 million) and more than 170 other subjects.
We have the power to change this.
Read more here: Kathy Ireland: The Tragic Shortfall in Down Syndrome Research.
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.