National Down Syndrome Congress Presents Theodore D. Tjossem Research Award to Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome

Over 700 self-advocates with Down syndrome and their families attended the award ceremony

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San Antonio, TX (On August 6, 2011) — National Down Syndrome Congress presented its Theodore D. Tjossem Research Award to Dr. Ed McCabe, Executive Director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome. The award was presented in front of a crowd of over 700 self-advocates with Down syndrome and their families attending the National Down Syndrome Congress Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX.

The National Down Syndrome Congress has presented twenty-two awards since 1988 at this annual convention. The prestigious research award is presented to individuals or institutions that contribute to the understanding of Down syndrome or improve the lives of people with Down syndrome and their families.

The award is named after Theodore D. Tjossem, who was the chief of the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers branch at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), from 1966 until his retirement in 1987.

Past recipients include Siegfried Pueschel, David Patterson, Brian Chicoine and Dennis McGuire, George T. Capone, Stephanie Sherman, Beach Center on Disability, and Roger Reeves.

“The Linda Crnic Institute for Down syndrome is being recognized by the Down syndrome community for its research and leadership. Dr. McCabe and his team are pioneers in bringing clinical care and research together in one setting, “ said David Tolleson, Executive Director of the National Down Syndrome Congress. “They have not only undertaken important research around medical standards and high-incidence diseases, such as congenital heart defects, they have also been key leaders in advocating for more and better research as witnessed by their organization at the first National Conference on Down syndrome in conjunction with the NIH.”

Dr. McCabe accepted the award with colleagues, Michelle Livingston, Director of Operations  and Government Affairs at Global Down Syndrome Foundation, and DeOndra Dixon, self-advocate and ambassador for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

Dr. McCabe thanked David Tolleson and the National Down Syndrome Congress, “On behalf of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, I am humbled and honored to be added to the list of Theodore D. Tjossem Research Award  recipients.” He continued, “The fact is, people with Down syndrome deserve sound research and fair funding that will provide them the best medical care and health outcome, as well as allow them to reach their true potential. We are committed to delivering what people with Down syndrome deserve.”

Michelle Livingston added, “As the fundraising and advocacy non-profit supporting the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, we cannot be more pleased and grateful that Dr. McCabe and his team of Down syndrome experts are being recognized.”

The National Down Syndrome Congress annual convention is the only annual, national conference in the United States for people with Down syndrome, their families, and their care provider. Each year the convention is held at a different host city, attracting an astounding 2,500 to 3,000 attendees. The convention attracts an unparalleled number of Down syndrome experts from around the world presenting at workshops throughout the three-day conference. It also includes well-organized self-advocate activities and separate sibling workshops. To learn more about National Down Syndrome Congress or the Annual Convention, please visit www.ndsccenter.org.

About the National Down Syndrome Congress

Founded in 1973, the National Down Syndrome Congress is the country’s oldest organization for people with Down syndrome, their families, and the professionals who work with them.  A 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization, the NDSC provides free technical support and information about issues related to Down syndrome throughout the lifespan, as well as on matters of public policy relating to disability rights.  Best known for its annual convention – the largest of its type in the world – the National Down Syndrome Congress is a grassroots organization recognized for its “family” feel, its “We’re More Alike than Different” public awareness campaign, and, its outreach to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

About the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome

The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome is the first medical and research institute with the mission to provide the best clinical care to people with Down syndrome, and to eradicate the medical and cognitive ill effects associated with the condition. Established in 2008, the Crnic Institute is a partnership between the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Children’s Hospital Colorado.  Headquartered on the Anschutz Medical Campus, the Crnic Institute includes the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome at the Children’s Hospital Colorado.  It partners both locally and globally to provide life-changing research and medical care for individuals with Down syndrome.  The Crnic Institute is made possible by the generous support of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation, and relies on the Global Down Syndrome Foundation for fundraising, education, awareness and government advocacy.  It is a research and medical-based organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.

About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a public non-profit 501(c)(3)  dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy.  Formally established in 2009, the Foundation’s primary focus is to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the first academic home in the US committed to research and medical care for people with the condition. Fundraising and government advocacy that corrects the alarming disparity of national funding for people with Down syndrome is a major short-term goal.  The Foundation organizes the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show – the single largest annual fundraiser benefitting people with Down syndrome.  Programmatically the Foundation organizes and funds many programs and conferences including the Dare to Play Football and Cheer Camps, Global Down Syndrome Educational Series, and Global Down Syndrome Multi-Language Resource Project.  The Foundation is an inclusive organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.

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