9-year-old with Down syndrome defies odds
Courtesy of Washington School District
Raelynn Cox, a student at Washington Park Elementary School who has Down syndrome, displays artwork on her grandmother’s refrigerator.
Courtesy of Washington School District
Rebecca Myers-Matson, a third-grade learning support teacher at Washington Park Elementary School, assists Raelynn Cox, 9, at the board, helping her learn numbers.
Her smile is contagious and her persistence is evident.
Raelynn Cox, 9, who was born with Down syndrome, may have had delays in development, but she is progressing at a steady pace with help from her family, teachers, and therapists at Washington Park Elementary.
Down syndrome is a genetic condition associated with having an extra chromosome 21, which results in developmental delays of varying degrees. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in every 700 babies born are affected.
Today, is World Down Syndrome Day, officially observed by the United Nations every March 21 since 2012. The date was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome. Washington School District will be recognizing and building awareness about children with Down’s syndrome.
Raelynn and her brother, Bobby Cox Jr., 7, live with their grandmother and uncle in Washington, and see their father as often as they can.
According to Virginia “Nanny” Cox, her grandchildren play together and keep things active for her, their Uncle Tommy, and Chihuahua, Mason.
“It is hard for me to believe that when she was born, doctors said she would never walk or talk,” her grandmother said. “She has fooled them all. She used to slide across the floor on her legs before she had physical therapy to strengthen her legs and learn to walk. Her therapists, Eric and Margie, came several times a week to assist with early intervention therapies in teaching her how to walk, run, and even use the bathroom … everyday things most children take for granted.”
To see Raelynn as she is now, one would never guess she struggled to learn to walk. She was busy hopping around the house with her brother and watching cartoons, imitating the cartoon characters’ movements. Virginia Cox said Raelynn loves to imitate them and their motions, so she continues to learn when she’s not in the classroom.
“I love to dance and sing,” said Raelynn.
Cox noted that genetics may be responsible for Raelynn’s love of singing and dancing. She said Raelynn’s grandfather and her late husband, Harry Cox, once sang with Little Anthony and the Imperials, so “maybe Raelynn’s musical talent comes from him.”
One of Raelynn’s favorite subjects is art. She loves to draw, and the artwork makes its way to the refrigerator for display. She proudly showed off a glittery poster with her name on it she made in class for Valentine’s Day.
Raelynn’s different life skills are covered by teachers and paraprofessionals, as well as weekly sessions for occupational, physical, and speech therapy. However, the majority of her day is spent with Rebecca Myers-Matson, a third-grade learning support teacher at Washington Park who is thrilled to teach Raelynn and see her learn new things.
“Her progress is steady and she is reaching her goals. She has made great progress in her math skills this year,” Myers-Matson said.
She also said that Raelynn is persistent and a bit stubborn at times, but that persistence has helped her.
“She doesn’t give up. She keeps trying and improving,” said Myers-Matson, who confirmed Raelynn’s love of music and dance. “When we watched “Beauty and the Beast,” she knew all the words to the songs and moved with them. She told us that was her favorite movie.”
Steady progress in development and an attitude to not give up have shown that despite having Down syndrome, Raelynn is a typical child who enjoys what most children her age enjoy – singing, playing, dancing and art. She works hard to learn and to please the adults in her life who are working with her to be the best she can be. Her attitude teaches others to strive to achieve as well, regardless of obstacles.
To learn more about World Down Syndrome Day or Down syndrome, visit the website at: https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/.