13 Oklahomans With Down Syndrome Featured In Times Square Billboard

Thirteen Oklahomans with Down Syndrome got to see their picture on a billboard this weekend in New York City’s Times Square.

The National Down Syndrome Society put out a worldwide call for photos of people with Down syndrome to be part of its annual Times Square video and 500 photos were chosen out of 3000 entries.

Drew Boswell, Miriam Cardena, Olivia Crites, Gentry Duren, Laura Fish, Hudson Franks, Nolan Harris, Kacie Lowe, Channce Richardson, Tremayne Rollins, Yoel Saldivar, Lia Short, and Emerson Smith, all from Oklahoma, were among the 500.

Gentry is a 3-year-old from Mustang.

“She's just a person just like me, and with, a little bit extra,” Ross Duren, Gentry’s father.

“She is the sweetest, kindest, gentlest soul. But she also is sweet and spicy and fiery at the same time,” Elizabeth Duren, Gentry’s mother said.

The Duren’s traveled to New York City for the once-in-a-lifetime chance.

“We got to go watch Gentry be on the jumbotron in Times Square and show the world all about what the beauty of Down syndrome looks like,” Elizabeth said.

She added the moment Gentry appeared on the screen was indescribable.

“Every emotion you can imagine. There are lots of tears, lots of tears, lots of excitement. And all the love,” she said.

Families from across the country gathered to see their loved ones on the billboard.

“We just want our, our children to be seen for the person that they are and not the diagnosis,” Sarah Soell, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma, said.

She said this kind of visibility is what the organization strives for.

“They automatically think, oh, this child has a disability or this person has a disability, they can't do that. And nine times out of ten, our kids show us that they can. They always can. And they prove us wrong every single time,” Soell said.

“The Times Square video was a kick-off to the NDSS Buddy Walks which happen all across the U.S.

In Oklahoma City, the Buddy Walk is scheduled for September 28th.