A SHIRLEY youngster and her mum are hoping to beat Mariah Carey to Christmas number one as they star in a video of a Down’s syndrome awareness charity.
Three-and-a-half year old Jessica and Katie Millar feature in Wouldn’t Change a Thing’s charity’s track to help raise awareness.
What Do You See? was penned by Scottish musician Tom Kerr after he saw a photo of his baby grandson Aaron alongside charity chairman Jamie McCallum’s daughter Rosie, who has the syndrome.
After being chosen to take part starlet Jessica started practising her signing ready for her moment in the spotlight with her mum who was proud to be asked to shine a positive light on Down’s Syndrome.
Katie told The Observer: “We wanted to show the other side of Down’s.
“Down’s is just an extra chromosome nothing more than that.
“People go on about being ‘normal’ but any parenting is tough, regardless of anything else.
“Jessica still goes to nursery, still has play dates, there are extra hospital appointments but that’s just how it is.”
A pregnant mother is offered routine screening tests to find out if their unborn baby is likely to have Down’s Syndrome.
Katie said Jessica still isn’t able to walk independently but she is very strong-willed and is able to communicate through Makaton – a language which uses signs to support speech.
Following her diagnosis Katie has been part of a group raising awareness of Down’s Syndrome and wants to promote the opportunities it offers those with the condition and their parents.
What Do You See? song was been released to coincide with a controversial storyline on TV soap Emmerdale.
In the show, Laurel gets pregnant and she and her partner Jai discover the unborn baby has Down Syndrome. After agonising over the news, the couple decide to terminate the pregnancy.
The story made the charity fast-track the release of its uplifting Christmas song ‘What do you see?’ – written and arranged by Tom Kerr and Colin Kennedy after seeing a photograph of Tom’s new grandson with a girl who has Down Syndrome.
The single made it to the top of the Amazon UK Best Sellers list within 24 hours and was placed number 13 on the UK iTunes chart.
To watch the video visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz0uUkZEIyQ&feature=youtu.be
