World Down Syndrome Day: Remembering the doctor who discovered the cause of Down syndrome

OnWorldDownSyndromeDay,March21,peoplearoundtheworldraiseawarenessandpromotetherightsandwell-beingofpeoplewithDownsyndrome. Thedate,“3/21”symbolizesthetriplicationofthe21stchromosome—thegeneticcauseofDownsyndrome,whichwasdiscoveredbyDr.JérômeLejeune,aCatholicdoctoronhiswaytosainthood. In2021,Lejeune,whowasbornin1926anddiedin1994,wasdeclaredvenerableforhisheroicvirtue,includinghisadvocacyforpeoplewithDownsyndromeandhisdefenseofunbornchildren. AudeDugast,aphilosopherbytrainingwhoispostulatorforthecauseforLejeune’scanonizationandauthorof“JérômeLejeune:AManofScienceandConscience,”describedLejeuneas“anapostleofthegospeloflife.” “JérômeLejeunewasamanofgreatscienceandgreatfaithwhousedhisimmenseintelligenceintheserviceofhispatients,”DugasttoldCNA.“Nottomakemoney,togetmorepower,butwithhumilityheusedhisintelligencetoservethemosthumble,thechildren,hispa