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SALT LAKE CITY — A scared pregnant woman who found out her baby will have Down syndrome reached out to an advocacy group to ask what her child’s life was going to be like and received a touching video of comfort and reassurance in response.
The video, which has been viewed over 2.5 million times on Youtube since it was released last week, starts out with this statement:
"On the 9th of February, we received this email from a future mom. 'I'm expecting a baby. I've discovered he has Down syndrome. I'm scared: what kind of life will my child have?'"
The video continues with: "Today we reply to her like this."
Coors Down, an Italian Down syndrome advocacy group, used 15 kids from all over Europe who speak many different languages to participate in the video.
The video shows the young people who go on to talk about all the things her child will be able to do.
“Dear future mom,” says one child. “Don’t be afraid,” says the next.
“Your child will be able to do many things."
"He'll be able to hug you. He'll be able to run towards you. He'll be able to speak and tell you he loves you."
They go on to say that her child will be able to go to school, travel, help his father fix a bike, work and earn money and rent an apartment.
The kids then tell her that while her journey will sometimes be difficult, maybe even almost impossible, she and her child will be happy.
"But isn't it like that for all mothers?" a young man asks.
Each child’s mother then comes into the frame to hug their child at the end of the video.
Down syndrome is when an individual has a full or partial copy of chromosome 21 in their cells, according to the National Down Syndrome Society, and occurs 1 in every 691 babies in the United States.
Coor Down teamed up with the Italian ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi to create the video in honor of World Down Syndrome Day, held every year on March 21.
