On July 8th, 1996 I was thrust into the world.  On the day of my birth my loving parents were told that I had a chromosome disorder called Down Syndrome. 

 

There are three known types of Down Syndrome.  Those three types are Translocation, Mosaicism and the most common type Trisomy 21 which is what I have.  Most people have 46 chromosomes that determines their genetic makeup.  You get 23 chromosomes from your mother and 23 chromosomes from your father.  Well, because I have Down Syndrome I'm a little different, I have 47 chromosomes. 

 

Imagine the numbers 1 through 23 in a line and at each numbered line you have two chromosomes which makes up the 46 chromosomes that most people have.  Well, at line number 21 I have 3 chromosomes hence the prefix Tri in  Trisomy and the number 21 in Trisomy 21 as the type of Down Syndrome I have.  Having the extra chromosome causes what medical professionals call overexpression in my genes which is what makes having Down Syndrome a not so good thing for the most part. 

 

Depending on which gene is triplicated, overexpression can decrease the functions of the immune system, affect cognitive skills, cause heart deffects, skeletal abnormalities, disrupt metabolism and DNA repair and cause mental retardation to name a few.