Every year on March 21, we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, a day “created to celebrate the lives of people with Down syndrome and to make sure they have the same freedoms and opportunities as everybody else.”
But it’s also a day to create awareness of the fact that people with Down syndrome are human beings created in the image and likeness of God and have endless potential.
Catherine and Andrew Daub understand these truths and have been champions for their son Will since he was born with Down syndrome in 2020.
Team Iron Will
In 2019, Catherine and Andrew discovered that they were expecting their eighth child, and tests showed that he had a 99% chance of having Down syndrome. Catherine explained that they weren’t as afraid of the Down syndrome diagnosis as they were about how others would treat their son. They knew then that they would have to spend the rest of their lives advocating for him.
And once they realized this, they jumped into their advocacy wholeheartedly. Will was born in 2020 and immediately faced numerous medical complications. Catherine and Andrew found themselves navigating a medical system that was often unfriendly to people with Down syndrome, but they never backed down when trying to solve his medical problems or when making sure he received the best possible treatment. When their concerns were dismissed, they continually searched for answers until they found them. And in so doing, they discovered a network of knowledgeable friends and medical professionals who helped champion their son alongside them.
When Will needed therapy equipment, people within the DS community stepped up to help finance it or donated some of their own. This caused Catherine and Andrew think about the vast needs within the Down syndrome community, and that’s when they decided to create Team Iron Will. Their goal now is to champion “the intrinsic value of people with Down syndrome” by assisting families who need help with obtaining medical or therapy equipment and by advocating for and educating families and the public about the possibilities of people with Down syndrome.
Since Team Iron Will’s inception, its impact has grown exponentially. In just the last three years, it has supported 3,926 families in 37 countries, delivered 374 pieces of life-changing equipment and family resources, granted 141 therapy scholarships, reached over 123 million people online with stories of dignity and hope, and provided 365 developmental and educational tools.
Additionally, in 2025, TIW launched its Champion Possibility campaign “to encourage a shift in how individuals with Down syndrome are seen, supported, and celebrated.” As TIW explains, “Through storytelling, community engagement, and advocacy, the campaign calls others to choose hope over fear, see possibility instead of limitations, celebrate every victory—no matter how small—and actively support individuals with Down syndrome as they pursue full, meaningful lives. At its heart, Champion Possibility is about standing alongside individuals and families, cheering them on every step of the way.”
Catherine explains that when we support and encourage people with Down syndrome, we not only help them reach their potential, but we help them see that the sky is the limit on what they can accomplish. At its core, championing possibility is about helping people see the dignity of those with Down syndrome and creating a world where they are not seen as burdens but as beloved.
It’s a change in mindset that she and Andrew are hoping spreads far and wide, and to help this narrative shift, they are asking young people to share their thoughts and make their voices heard.
Advocacy essay contest
Now through March 27, students in middle school through college can enter Team Iron Will’s Down Syndrome Advocacy Essay Contest to articulate their thoughts about the beauty of people with Down syndrome and to win some awesome prizes.
Through age-appropriate prompts, students can write about a variety of topics. Prompts include what society would look like if we saw individuals with Down syndrome through a lens of courage, joy, and possibility; common myths about Down syndrome and how choosing hope over fear can transform individuals and communities; what it means to define someone by their humanity rather than a diagnosis; how lowered expectations shape outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome; and more.
Andrew explained that “these prompts will hopefully guide students to truly dive into and think about what the risks are and about threats and misunderstanding surrounding Down syndrome, and once informed/educated, they will then be able to educate others in an informed, connected fashion.”
The essay contest is new this year, and when asked why they decided to host this contest, Andrew explained,
We’ve watched young people around us become really energized and get involved in Team Iron Will—advocating for people with Down syndrome. And notably, during our Team Iron Will wiffleball tournament and advocacy event this past September, we were taken aback by how kind and motivated and engaging and energized these young people were. They came to work the event and support us and play a ballgame, but they ended up interacting with Iron Will and other children in the DS community by helping them out and standing up for them.
This beautiful experience gave them hope and energized their efforts, and they realized that events that seek the participation of young people are essential to dispelling the fear surrounding a Down syndrome diagnosis. This fear is widespread, and the statistics are tragic: In the US, nearly 70% of babies who are diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome are aborted. In other countries, this percentage is much higher. Many countries seek to eradicate Down syndrome by eradicating people, so it is incumbent on us to teach the truth that regardless of ability, every person has immeasurable worth simply because we all exist.
This fear-based mindset can only change when we talk about the facts rather than run away from and hide behind the myths. It can only change when parents encourage their children to see beyond outward appearances and abilities and look at the core of each person. And it can only change when each of us stands up for every single vulnerable person we encounter.
Andrew explained that, through this contest, TIW is hoping students can gain a better understanding of Down syndrome. He shared that he hopes people, kids especially, come to understand that Down syndrome “is more than just a diagnosis and that a lot of the information that’s put out as factual is erroneous.” He continued, “So many myths have been perpetuated around Down syndrome that society as a whole believes them and accepts that there are innumerable limitations on our children. And these young people researching and searching their hearts and figuring out how they can participate, and what Down syndrome and ‘champion possibility’ truly means is an excellent intellectual exercise and a great opportunity to figure out where and how and why they should advocate.”
Andrew shared that he hopes that the contest and the other events hosted by TIW make a meaningful impact on the community. He said he hopes that young people will feel energized “so they will be willing and able to stand up for the Down syndrome community, advocate for them, and benefit personally from the relationships and understanding they develop in the process.”
These are the lessons that Catherine and Andrew hope to impart to others, and they pray every day for their son and others with Down syndrome who are discarded before birth or disregarded and misunderstood after birth. They want the world to know that true joy cannot be found in material things but in who we are as individuals.
To learn more about the contest and to see prizes and prompts, visit teamironwill.org/essaycontest2026.
Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-down-syndrom-make-up-child-6203126/
