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SHERIDAN – Kasen Kaeding is a typical 7 year old boy with an unwavering love of golf, soccer, hibachi steakhouses and SpongeBob SquarePants.
But for a brief moment on September 18, Kasen was also hundreds of feet tall. His photograph was displayed on two Times Square jumbotrons in an hour-long video on the New York City Buddy Walk.
The video, from the National Down Syndrome Society, featured 500 children, adolescents and adults from the 50 states who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome. The footage showed these people going to prom, playing sports and working hard at their jobs. Others, like Kasen, simply shared their infectious smiles.
Each photo served as a reminder of the humanity and personalities of those affected by the world’s most common chromosomal disease, according to Alicia Kaeding, Kasen’s mother.
“It was great to see these photos,” said Alicia. “Everyone has potential and seeing these kids do great things shows that they are just as capable as anyone else.”
Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This extra genetic material changes the course of development and causes characteristics associated with Down syndrome.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 700 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome. About 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born in the United States each year.
The Times Square video presentation kicked off the Buddy Walk, which has been held in New York City since 1995 to raise awareness about Down syndrome. This year’s walk, which took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, took place two weeks before the start of Down’s syndrome Awareness Month, which will be observed throughout October. .
While the Kaeding family had hoped to attend the Buddy Walk in person, Alicia said it was always special to watch the National Down Syndrome Society’s live stream of the Times Square video, which not only featured Kasen, but the children of Kaeding family friends from around the nation, who had found ways to thrive despite their challenges.
According to the National Down Syndrome Society, Kasen’s photo was among more than 2,100 photos from across the country submitted for the Times Square video. While Kasen was at the forefront of the photo, she also highlighted the photographic talents of her 18-year-old sister, Kaylee, who took the photo as part of her photography class at Sheridan High School.
“We got to choose our own project that we wanted to do, and I chose Kasen because it’s really photogenic,” Kaylee said. “I like the photo (in Times Square) because he looks cute and he smiles. It was great to share that with people.
Alicia said she hopes Kasen’s turn in the spotlight has raised awareness about Down’s syndrome and how people like Kasen have so much to offer despite their challenges.
“Inclusion is huge, and we insist on that in her school too,” said Alicia. “We think he has so much to offer, and we want to share it with others as much as we can.”
The full video of Times Square can be viewed online, via the National Down Syndrome Society’s Facebook page at fb.watch/8lECwC_Ynl.
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