Adele Solomon is a talented young photographer who was born with Down Syndrome.

In 2015, the 17-year-old was the winner of ‘My World Photo Comp’, an international competition for people with Down Syndrome of all ages, while at the age of 11 Adele also won the ‘St Ignatius College Statewide Photography Competition’ (2009).

With her bright infectious smile, her impeccable manners and her inviting arms wide open, Adele talked to Neos Kosmos about her journey.

“We didn’t know our daughter had Down syndrome until after she was born, so the diagnosis was a huge shock for us and took time for our family to process,” explains Adele’s Australian Cypriot father John, who was leading a very successful career in media and advertising when his second daughter, Adele, was born.

Currently attending Adelaide East Education Centre – a special needs school – Adele is learning life skills while developing her reading and writing so she can grow and be well equipped to find future employment.

“As with any child we celebrate many milestones with [Adele], and although some may seem very trivial, for our family it really is a milestone.
“We have always set the bar really high and Adele always manages to get there, making us so proud of how well she is doing,” says John of his determined little girl.

After leaving his successful career to care for his daughter full-time, John realised that although communities have certainly become more accepting and mature towards people with Down Syndrome, there is still a long way to go and that inclusion still remains a big issue.

It was at that point that John decided to start Foundation 21 in order to educate and raise awareness about Down Syndrome within the community but also assist other families facing the same challenges.

Foundation 21, which is named after chromosome 21 (the chromosome responsible for Down Syndrome), doesn’t receive any funding from either the state or federal government.

Major fundraising events are being held throughout the year, with the money raised going towards a variety of areas, the main one being ‘Kids Days Out’ – a leisure and recreation program.

“We also use our funds towards education resources, parents’ retreats and respite days or for helping families financially if their child needs major surgery and has to be away from home for an extended time,” Solomon explains.

Together with a group of supporters, John is planning to trek deep through the Grand Canyon on the USA Grand Canyon Trek from 28 May to 9 June in 2016 (www.grandcanyontrek.com).

“Last time was in 2013 and it was very successful, with six trekkers raising almost $40,000.”

Although running the foundation and organising the Grand Canyon Trek is a big challenge, for John and his family the biggest challenge is to make sure they have the patience and resources to help their daughter grow and to have the same opportunities as other kids her age.

“My advice to families facing similar challenges is something my mother taught me as a child – ‘if you can change something, then move heaven and earth to change it, but if you can’t change it, then the quicker you accept it, adapt and learn from it the better it will be’.

“This is how we got through Adele’s early years, and 17 years later that philosophy is still paying off.”

For science, the presence of chromosome 21 is responsible for the most common chromosomal disorder, but for those parents whose children are diagnosed with Down Syndrome, the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the presence of that one extra chromosome which makes their children even more special.

And that is exactly what Adele is.