EUGENE, Ore. — Eugene-based journalist/author Melissa Hart, whose newest book is “Down Syndrome Out Loud: 20+ Stories of Disability and Determination” (Sourcebooks, 2025) shares stories alongside Eugene/Springfield community members who experience Down syndrome in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day, held each year on March 21 to recognize the extra piece of the 21st chromosome that causes this genetic condition.
The National Down Syndrome Society estimates that 1 in every 775 babies in the U.S. is born with this genetic condition.
“When we were kids, we didn’t see a single book representing people like my brother,” Hart says. “For Down Syndrome Out Loud, I interviewed and profiled twenty-two people with this genetic condition from all over the world, including the first U.S. Congressional lobbyist and the first person to complete an Ironman triathlon with Down syndrome, as well as other athletes and actors, entrepreneurs and activists.”…