Local child to appear in global Down Syndrome awareness video

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A little girl from Terre Haute will be seen by thousands after being selected to appear in an awareness campaign for children living with Down Syndrome.

Her name is Nora Tanoos.

“She shows us every day that nothing is going to get in the way of her having a good life and being fulfilled,” explains Katie Tanoos, Nora’s mom.

She says her five year old, may have Down Syndrome but she can still do anything she sets her mind to.

“I look at her every day and think, wow, you have taught me so much in your short life, already, that most people don’t ever learn their entire life so, she puts a lot of perspective in life for me. “

Nora will appear in an awareness video this weekend in Times Square featuring hundreds of people living with Down Syndrome. It’s produced by the National Down Syndrome Society and is part of New York City’s annual Buddy Walk.

Her father, William Tanoos, says Nora was selected from thousands of submissions that came in from around the world.

“They selected just 500 and Nora was one of them, so we were thrilled, of course. “

Her dad hopes the campaign raises awareness for children, and families, like his.

“Nora and all individuals with Down Syndrome are individuals like the rest of us,” He said. “They run the whole gambit of emotions. You always hear, ‘they’re always happy,’ and, in Nora’s case, her disposition is always seemingly happy, but she has sass and she gets scared and frustrated just like any other person.”

Dixie Russell is with the Terre Haute Leader for Down Syndrome Indiana.

“Nora seems super sweet and, she’s so adorable every time we see her out in the community,” Russell says, “Just seeing the posts her mom does on Facebook, she seems like she’s full of life. It’s really cool to follow her journey. “

Russell says campaigns like these are critical to their goal.

“(It) gets rid of some of those stereotypes that people might have about people with Down Syndrome. It shows how beautiful they are, inside and out. Some of the amazing things they’re doing, just through a single picture that’s posted up on a Jumbotron. It’s just really cool to see.”

It goes to show how a single picture can bring joy, and understanding, all around the world.

Nora’s photo will appear between 10:20 and 10:30 a.m. On Saturday. It will be aired live on Facebook. Click here for the live link.

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