BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and one local girl diagnosed with down syndrome has done her part to make Bakersfield a better place.
16-year-old Chloe Porter does so much for the community. She’s shattered stigmas associated with Down syndrome and even raised money for a much bigger cause.
She has been met with a stigma regarding her diagnosis, but she doesn’t let people’s rude comments get her down.
She works for Congressman Kevin McCarthy’s office, and in the last five years, has raised over $100,000 for Memorial Hospital for her art.
Some may argue that Chloe has done more in 16 years, than others have done in a lifetime.
Down Syndrome Awareness month attempts to listen to a group of people who have been silenced for so long.
“October’s a great month. It’s a month for visibility. It’s a month for conversations, it’s a month for just continuing the advocacy that we do each and every day to put the individuals we serve forward, their stories, their unique pasts, their skill sets, and to be able to link them up with individuals in our community… it’s the best part,” according to Tim Calahan, the Director of Communications for Bakersfield Arc.
“I just want people to understand that she just she’s like anybody else. She loves. She hurts. She cares. Right? She is talented. She’s good at math. She’s good at games. Dice games is amazing. The way she can count so fast. Of course, her artwork is, you know, just you can’t deny how talented she is” Wendy Porter, Chloe’s mom and Executive Director of The Wounded Heroes Fund said.
During the small amount of time that Chloe isn’t being a rockstar within her community, she can be seen enjoying her dance classes, painting for a cause, and excelling in her favorite subject, math!
If you want to learn more about the myths and truths regarding down syndrome, you can join local support groups that aid in fighting misinformation on Down Syndrome.
