To Whom It May Concern – Kofi Entsi Yankson

As parents, we can’t stop talking about our children; I don’t know what accounts for this for other people but for me, my children are the most important human beings in my life and I love for my friends, colleagues, school mates etc, to get to know them by their names and personality via the snippets I share almost at every encounter

Today, I have the privilege and honor to talk unabashedly about one of my children because it is the day that the United Nations has set aside to celebrate individuals like him simply because of who they are.

March 21, is a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate individuals born/living with Down syndrome and to create public awareness about this genetic condition. The theme for this year’s celebration is #WeDecide. In line with this year’s theme, we (yes, you too) hereby decide to support people with Down syndrome to have full participation in decision making on matters relating to/or affecting their lives, which is a human rights principle supported by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

What is Down Syndrome? Down syndrome occurs when an individual is born with the presence of an extra copy (partial or whole) of the 21^st chromosome, this results in some physiological, developmental and cognitive delays in persons born with this condition and in most cases, with underlying health challenges. My son, Kofi Entsi Yankson, aka KEY, is a child living with Down syndrome.

For obvious reasons, unlike the last five years, we are unable to hold any social event to create public awareness about Down syndrome today but that doesn’t stop me from celebrating my son. In line with the theme ‘We Decide’, I am choosing to celebrate him by showcasing his ‘credentials’ for you to see that he is being empowered to be a self-advocate with the requisite skills to decide in the future. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present the resume of Master Kofi Entsi Yankson to you:

Vision Statement

Kofi Entsi Yankson is 6years old (or as he is prone to saying lately, ‘almost 7’) and in Class 1 at Multikids Inclusive Academy. My vision for my Kofi is for him to live a life of choice and having valuable relationships. I envisage him doing a work that he enjoys and makes him feel productive such as a dancer, dance instructor, choreographer, a music teacher or an instrumentalist. I envisage my son living a full, happy and meaningful life surrounded by love and support, contributing his quota to his community and society supported to make the decisions that are important for his wellbeing.

KEY’s Strengths (still discovering them together)

• Visual learner
• Intermediate reader
• Knows his ABCs and letter sounds
• Can count to 30
• Social, polite and kind
• Funny, smart, great friend
• Excellent photographic memory, especially with landmarks (you will never get lost anywhere with this guy as your guide)

What works for KEY

• Patience (lots and lots of it)
• Peer modeling
• Schedule, routines and consistency
• Believe in his abilities
• Praise for his efforts and achievements
• Warn/prepare him for transitions/changes in routines

What doesn’t work for KEY

• Being rushed
• Negative energy like yelling and moodiness/mood swings
• Doing everything for him

What KEY is working on

• Talking in sentences and slowly (to correct an emerging stutter)
• Fine motor skills like writing, cutting paper
• Gross motor skills like balancing his weight on one foot, catching thrown objects like a ball
• Conversational speech, social boundaries, socially appropriate behaviors (like meeting a stare with a ‘hi with a wave’ instead of staring back at people)
• Following complex directions eg: put the peels in the dustbin, put the plate in the sink and bring me a cup from the kitchen

KEY loves:

• Drawing/coloring, reading, writing and watching Mr. Incredible
• Everybody especially his mommy, sister, cousins, friends from school, dance studio and church, nanny, aunties and uncles, grandma and grandpa
• Playing the guitar, drumming and dancing
• Swimming and playing ball
• Ripe plantain (in any form), banku/kokonte with okro soup and fufu with any soup at all
• Banana, mango, watermelon, yoghurt

KEY’S Achievements:

• Excellent swimmer (has five years’ swimming experience and in the period won some great awards like the swimming etiquette, most improved swimmer of the term, the fish award among others)
• Fantastic dancer (has 18 months’ dancing experience and has had two professionally directed stage performances and currently working on his third professional performance
• Novel instrumentalist – can play the guitar and drum

Yes, my KEY has Down syndrome but from the above, you can see that he is on the path of contributing to society if given the chance. As we mark this day today, I entreat you to look beyond the diagnosis and the unique physical features he presents with and see the abilities of this beautiful child of mine and others like him so we can present them with opportunities to decide

PS: In the meantime, be conscious about hand-washing, and for each of the the 20 seconds or so you dedicate to washing your hands, please offer a prayer to God or whatever you believe in for this plague to pass soon. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and when unwell, call the emergency numbers provided for advice. in Ghana, you can call 055 222 2004, 055 222 2005, 050 949 7700 and 055 843 9868. Let’s be each other’s keeper by prioritizing our own safety in this difficult times.