Wearing crazy socks encouraged for World Down Syndrome Day
It’s good to be the king. At least that’s what Mel Brooks told us in “History of the World: Part 1.”
It’s good to be the king. At least that’s what Mel Brooks told us in “History of the World: Part 1.”
It’s also good to be King Koda. Just ask Takoda Watie of Sallisaw.
“If you met him, you would know why we call him King Koda. He’s got a huge personality,” says his mother, Melodie Dobson.
And Dobson has a way to honor the king, as well as others in Sequoyah County.
Wear crazy socks on Friday.
Why crazy socks? Because Friday is World Down Syndrome Day, and the crazy socks help spread awareness for those like Takoda.
“It’s Friday, it’s spring break, it’s World Down Syndrome Day. There are other people in our community that have Down syndrome. I thought, ‘Hey, get your crazy socks out, let’s celebrate World Down Syndrome Day together as a community’,” Dobson says.
In addition, Dobson’s downtown business, Sozos Coffee Company & Bistro, 211 N. Oak Street, is hosting a special late- night event in honor of WDSD featuring King Koda.
“He’s very popular, so people can just come out and celebrate with us how amazing he is as a person,” Dobson says of her son.
“There are other people in our community that have Down syndrome,” she says. “There’s more than Takoda in Sallisaw that have Down syndrome.”
Dobson says Down syndrome “gets overshadowed by so many other things that we recognize. They don’t really get any recognition that they’re here. This is just a group of people that is forgotten about.”
So why crazy socks?
“They encourage people to wear crazy socks to spread awareness about Down syndrome,” Dobson says. “It’s just good to spread awareness and let people know that they’re here and this is what they’re doing, this is why we spread awareness. We’re better together.
“The whole purpose of World Down Syndrome Day is to highlight that there’s more ability than disability,” she says.
Down syndrome is a third replica of the 21st chromosome, so there’s three markers on the 21st chromosome, Dobson explains, which lends itself to the 3-21 date for WDSD.
WDSD is marked each year on March 21, beginning in 2007. The General Assembly of the United Nations has observed it each year since 2012.
Takoda Watie’s support system includes (from left) bonus dad Cory Dobson, dad Jerry Watie, Takoda and mom Melodie Dobson. COURTESY PHOTO
