Melting the misconceptions about Down Syndrome with a smile.

Courtesy of the Daily Mail:

The camera just loves little Taya Kennedy. Wide-eyed, cheeky, engaged; she brims with the confidence of a natural performer. It is little wonder that she has taken the child-modelling world by storm. 

The fact that 14-month-old Taya also has Down’s Syndrome is quite incidental. She was selected, not to fulfil a quota, tick a box or adhere to the dictums of some politically-correct code of positive discrimination. Taya was picked because, quite simply, she is a star. 

‘Taya is an incredibly photogenic, warm and smiley child, and that shines through in her photographs,’ says Alysia Lewis, owner of Urban Angels, the prestigious UK model agency that has signed her up. 

Retailers, including the Early Learning Centre and Mothercare, are already queuing up to feature the bright-eyed toddler in their advertising campaigns. 

And Taya’s devoted mum, Gemma Andre, couldn’t be more proud. 

‘I always believed my daughter was stunning but I thought, “I’m her mum. I’m biased,”’ she says. 

'When people say "poor you" I find it offensive and irritating,' said Taya's mother Gemma ‘When the agency rang me and said, “We want her on our books. She’s absolutely beautiful”, I was delighted. 

‘I asked them if they were aware she had Down’s Syndrome. They said: “It’s immaterial. We’ve accepted her.” At that moment I burst into tears. I was overjoyed, not so much because Taya was going to be a model. More importantly, she had competed on equal terms with every other child and succeeded. 

‘People can be really negative about children with Down’s. They say they can’t do this and won’t be able to achieve that. It’s incredibly frustrating. Someone said to me the other day: “I suppose she’ll never be able to live an independent life,” and I said, “Why on earth not?” 

‘When people say “poor you” I find it offensive and irritating. The way I see it, some people cannot even have children and God has given me this special child.’ 

Taya's mother shares her introduction to Down syndrome, and how frightening she at first found the challenge of giving birth to a child with such a potentially debilitating condition.

‘A doctor told us, “I think she has Down’ s Syndrome” and then he just walked away. 

‘From that moment I was mourning for the child I hadn’t had. We couldn’t help but selfishly wonder why this had happened to us. We weren’t prepared for it. We couldn’t celebrate. We felt numb and grief-stricken; just devastated.’ 

The contrast between Gemma's very understandable fears and concerns for her daughter's health, are in direct contrast to how Palin describes her own feelings, as described in this e-mail that she composed more than a week BEFORE the birth of her son, and over a month before he was SUPPOSED to have been born. Here is just a portion of that e-mail describing how Palin supposedly thought about Trig's challenges BEFORE he was even born. (Remember this is written as if coming directly from God.)


Then, I let Trig's mom have an exceptionally comfortable pregnancy so she could enjoy every minute of it, and I even seemed to rush it along so she could wait until near the end to surprise you with the news - that way Piper wouldn't have so long to wait and count down so many days - just like Christmastime when you have to wait, impatiently, for that special day to finally open your gift? (Or the way the Palins look forward to birthday celebrations that go on for three, four day.. you all really like cake.) I know you, I knew you'd be better off with just a short time to wait! 

Every child is created special, with awesome purpose and amazing potential. Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed up world you live in down there on earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome.

Does that sound like somebody who is struggling with uncertainty about the birth of her potentially medically fragile child? Or worried about her ability to deal with his special needs?

NO that sounds like somebody who is convinced that her child's delivery will be problem free, and that his health will be of no concern.  What information did Sarah Palin have that was NOT available to Taya's mother?

Just listen to how Gemma came to understand her little girl's challenges and how she determined to overcome them.



Bit by bit, the extent of Taya’s disabilities emerged. 

‘Down’s Syndrome babies are born with very poor muscle tone. Taya was more floppy than a rag doll. It was as if she had no bones,’ recalls Gemma. (Somehow I assume that Gemma would NOT have been willing to take her daughter to the office only days after her birth, or carry her around on the campaign trail only five months later.)

‘She had a single crease in her palm, a gap between her toes and a flat nose that signals sinus problems. She has deficiencies in her sight and hearing, her bowels and heart. 

'Tests showed her heart had two holes in it, but we were told not to worry, that she would be unaffected by the condition. All these things, we knew, were characteristic of Down’s children. 

‘We didn’t know what to expect or hope for. We were literally sent home with a booklet. But from that moment I knew I had to fight Taya’s corner, to research everything I could about her condition and do all I could to ensure she would have every chance in life.’ 

She began by challenging the doctors who insisted she would be unable to breastfeed: ‘They dismissed the idea as soon as Taya was born. They said she could not suckle because Down’s children have over-sized tongues and weak jaw muscles. 

‘But I was determined to prove them wrong. For a month I went to a breast-feeding class. I knew it would boost Taya’s weakened immune system if I fed her. It would also help with her speech because it would strengthen her jaw muscles. I wanted to do all I could to give her the best start. In the end I breastfed her for nine months.’ 

Taya, despite her disabilities, has a sunny disposition. 

‘She wakes up with a smile on her face and goes to sleep smiling. She hardly ever cries,’ says her mum. ‘I was worried at first because she was so peaceful.’ 

And even when, aged two-and-a-half months, Taya was rushed into hospital for an emergency operation to repair the holes in her heart — she spent three days in intensive care, her condition critical — Gemma recalls that she was not only robust and quick to recover, but that her cheerfulness did not falter. (Interestingly enough it was reported by Palin herself that Trig ALSO had a "hole in his heart," though surprisingly it was not  mentioned by CBJ in her famous letter issued the night before the election. Still here is a woman who tells of having to rush her child to the hospital to repair this damaged organ, and from Palin and her doctor there never seemed to be any concern of complications endangering Trig's health whatsoever. Almost magical, don't you think?)


The difference in how this brave and loving mother prepared herself for her child's arrival, and her dedication to meeting Taya's needs since her birth are almost the polar opposite of how Palin has dealt with her OWN special needs child.

Gemma focused on this beautiful little girl's needs, dedicated herself to giving her everything she would need to be happy and healthy, and is now reaping some benefit of her hard work by witnessing her child achieve something that she probably never considered possible.

For Palin on the other hand, Trig was more a prop to burnish her pro-life credibility, than an actual human being requiring love, and attention, and the opportunity rise to his potential and have a happy fulfilling life.

Now that Klondike Kardashian is no longer pretending to desire a political career, Trig is relegated to a fleeting mention in a Facebook post, or perhaps once in a great while, the subject of a sympathy seeking holiday message from Sarah in a desperate attempt to garner some attention.

But what of his life? When was the last time he was seen with his hearing aids and glasses? Does anybody REALLY believe he is receiving anywhere near the level of love and support that little Taya seems to be surrounded by?

And considering the wealth and resources at Palin's disposal doesn't this seem especially despicable?