Emmanuel Bishop

Location: St Louis, MO

Challenge: Down Syndrome

Website: facebook.com/EmmanuelJBishop

Emmanuel Bishop is an ambitious young msn with Down syndrome, who plays the violin and speaks English, Spanish, French and Latin. He never lets nothing stand in the way of his dreams. Down syndrome occurs when an individuals has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.

Emmanuel started studying the violin when he was 6-years-old. At the age of 12, he played a recital at the recital at the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress in Ireland, attended by 900 people. At 15, he was invited to Turkey to play the violin with a symphony orchestra for the World Down Syndrome Day.

Emmanuel, an only child, is currently home-schooled. At the age of 2, he learned to sight-read. His parents always believed in their son’s abilities and stood by him, helping him overcome any difficulty.

At the age of 6, he read a welcoming statement in three languages in front of 600 people at an Annual Conference on Down syndrome in Saint Louis.

Emmanuel is also very interested in sports. He has already set 6 junior Down Syndrome Swimming World records. When he was 8-years-old, the teenager won Special Olympic medals both in golf, which he declares to be his favorite sport, and aquatics. At 10, he went won the 200 and 400 freestyle swimming competition.

Emmanuel is a devout Christian, who firmly believes that he must use his gift from God in the pursuit of a greater cause, that of demonstrating that people with Down syndrome are like everyone else, having their own abilities to show to the world. He became an altar server at the age of 13 and was confirmed at 14. He has the community prayers on many occasions.

In many parts of the world, children with Down syndrome are not allowed the chance to live, as many women chose to terminate their pregnancy upon finding the results of the prenatal tests. In the United States alone, 60 to 90 percent of babies with Down syndrome are aborted, according to a 2012 analysis of 24 studies in Prenatal Diagnosis. In the United Kingdom, 90 percent of the women end their pregnancy, if the baby has Down syndrome.

The rate of abortions is so high, partly because women lack adequate information on what it means to raise a child with Down syndrome. While people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, their effect is mild to moderate and does obscure each individual’s talents and strengths. At the same time, people with the syndrome have an increased risk of getting, congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems. Many of these health issues are now treatable.

Emmanuel is an advocate for children with Down syndrome and aims to raise awareness about their skills and potential, by presenting his own story as an example of what kids like him are able to achieve, when given the chance. He has spoken at numerous Down syndrome conferences and retreats, describing his diverse and incredible experiences, accomplishments, passions and ambitions. In his presentations, he aims to counteract the low expectations in children with Down syndrome, reveal that the joy of living does not preclude them and mitigate the prevalence that the information about people with Down syndrome generally comes from those who do not have it. Emmanuel is a remarkable teenager, a wonderful example of talent, ambition and disciple for everyone.

Emmanuel Bishop