Down syndrome: Marta’s story, which “never stops”

Marta, 28, has the Down syndromeand he says “I never stop”: to see his day in Turin is just like that. Every morning, he enters the Warehousechanges, greets the colleagues, and begins his work in the room, before customers arrive for lunch: check the tables and their numbering, has the covers.
In the early afternoon, after work with customers for lunch, and after a short break to have a chat with others, Marta runs to the rowing club, where she trains: it is a pararowing athlete (rowing for athletes with disabilities), a sporting discipline in which it excels, and has already collected a palmarès of only gold and silver medals. At the club there is also her boyfriend, who has changed rowing company to be together with Marta. The time to put the “boat” in the Po waters, two paddles and go.

The warehouses (a project of OZ Foundation, Just as it is Casaoz – real house than in Turin for 18 years welcomewith his Everyday life that takes care, Children and teenagers who meet the disease and their families) are also the place where the Training and job placement project of fragile subjects or with different disabilities, such as Down syndrome but not only, Which in recent years has also tried to respond to the needs of the families of Casaoz, whose children with problems of illness or disabilities have become great.

At the Magazzinioz Marta it is a now familiar reference; Here “job placement is the result of a procedure that achieves interventions aimed at the person, as in the case of Marta”, explains the project manager Carla Chiarla. «Take into account the type of fragility or disability of the subject. What we firmly believe is the formation, orientation and also the involvement of the families of the children “.

Down syndrome: what it is and how many people striking

There Down syndrome It is the more common than chromosomal diseaseswith an incidence of 1 out of 1000 born, and it is the cause more frequent than mental retardation and of cardiac anomalies congenital due to chronic oxidative stress that characterizes it. This genetic disorder is linked to the presence of an extra chromosome: in fact, chromosome 21 are three instead of two (“trisomy” of chromosome 21): the date (21/3) of World Down Syndrome Day It was not chosen at random. In Italy, it is estimated that today they live about 38 thousand people With Down syndrome and their life expectancy has now overcome the 60 years. When the degree of delay and physical complications are not serious, people with syndrome can lead a normal and autonomous life, as in the case of Marta.

Down syndrome day: promote autonomy and integration

The Down syndrome day promotes theacceptance of diversity and autonomyrecognizing this condition as an expression of human uniqueness and underlining the need for adequate supports for the growth of children and teenagers who are carriers of down syndrome itself. Precisely in the direction of an autonomous life, the indications to the parents of Cristian Gualandris, Neuro therapist and psychomotor of the evolutionary age and of Giulia Ambrosettopsychotherapist and coordinator of Antoniano therapeutic center of Bologna, (founded in 1953, Antoniano is the historic Bolognese reality that deals with solidarity, entertainment and social communication).

Here are the suggestions of the experts, which we can summarize in:

1. Make diversity a value, even in the family

2. Support autonomy, step by step

3. Include children in daily activities

4. Encourage socialization through group activities

5. Apply a multidisciplinary and integrated therapeutic approach

There History of Marta it seems synthesize perfectly all these themes: in fact its conquest of autonomy and, consequently, of self-esteemhad started as a child, with the insertion in an elementary class standard And, the mother tells us, «Now, thanks to the job placement, Marta it feels a resource And not a weight for the society And this awareness has improved his life also in sport and in the hobbies he practices, among which theater is very important (also as a further factor of approach aimed at socialization) “. This personal growth has also changed the family ménage, because “the type of path made allows Marta to self -manage her life in a domestic environment and to be less and less dependent on us”, continues the mother. «Each conquest has also improved our life, but the inSTENCE IN THE WORLD OF WORK is vital For Marta as well as for all able -bodied children or disabilities ».

Is there still discrimination of people with down syndrome today?

“Contrary to a common perception, Antoniano does not detect significant discrimination against people with down syndrome,” he explains Marinella Maggiore, music therapist of the Antoniano Therapeutic Center. “Indeed, particular attention is observed, with the implementation of personalized rehabilitation paths that start from early childhood. These paths aim to develop the potential of each individual and to favor its social integration. During life, we continue with the inclusion in protected and dedicated work contexts, designed to enhance the skills acquired and promote autonomy. The situation is different, observes Carla Chiarla, in everyday life, here the stigma still exists: «The girls and boys with Down syndrome are more easily accepted because tender and affectionateas if they were teddy bear, and not people with their dignity ». There is still a discrimination linked to goodism; The road to social equality is still uphill.