Are You Down With That??

The Are You Down WIth That?? travel bug was created with the mission to travel to and from as many caches as possible with the idea of spreading the word about Down syndrome.  We hope that over time it covers the world, but the main goal is to spread the word so don't hold it too long.  When placing, please consider caches that are frequently visited.

The Are You Down With That?? Travel bug was created in honor of our son/brother Cannon Elijah Sharp who was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome on June 13^th, 2003.  As many families, we were not initially prepared for such a diagnosis, but it didn’t take long to realize that if anything, Cannon was a blessing to our family.
 
You may or may not be surprised to know that 1 in every 800 babies is born with Down syndrome which is a developmental disorder caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. This disorder is caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra 21st chromosome. Having an extra copy of this chromosome means that each gene may be producing more protein product than normal. Cells seem to tolerate this better than having not enough protein, or having altered protein due to a mutation in the DNA sequence. The condition leads to impairments in both cognitive ability and physical growth that range from mild to moderate developmental disabilities.  If you do not know much about Down syndrome I’d urge you to do a quick google search and learn something new for the day. 
 
The Are You Down With That?? Travel bug’s mission is to travel to as many caches as possible to bring awareness of Down syndrome and other disabilities to the world.  This special tee (golf) marker was received at the 2011 Our Special Hero’s golf classic that is held annually to help support the Down Syndrome Partnership of Tarrant County.  We were the #1 fundraiser for the event this year raising almost $13k for a great organization that is a support lifeline for many families.  Although it is a small object and may not look like much, its sentimental value is not quantitative.  Please treat the travel bug with care and pick a great spot to help spread the word.
 
Please keep in mind that everyone has a purpose to their life and individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities are no different.  When/if you encounter people with special needs, just remember that they have hopes, dreams, and feelings too.  Just think,  your child/brother/sister/niece/nephew/grandchild/or friend one day may be different than you ever imagined.  Different isn't a bad thing!  In fact, it would be boring if we were all the same!
 
We hope you enjoyed finding our special travel bug and that you enjoyed the pictures of our little cutie.
 
Happy Caching!
Sharpkids