This Teen Refused To Walk At Graduation Without His Twin Brother With Down Syndrome

by Dominique Mosbergen from The Huffington Post:
Austin Coppola attended Fairport High School in Fairport, New York. His twin brother, Ty, who has Down syndrome, did not. But last week, at the school's graduation ceremony, that difference mattered little.
Austin had refused to take part in the ceremony unless his brother was allowed to walk on stage with him. Austin told his mom that Ty deserved the same recognition and praise he would be getting that night.
"'Mom, Ty has worked harder than me, he's endured more challenges,'" the twins' mom, Cheryl Coppola, quoted Austin as saying, according to ABC-affiliate WHAM-TV. "'Yeah, I've earned it, I worked hard for my degree, but he's worked hard in a different way.'"
On June 26, Austin got his wish. The young man and his brother, both wearing caps and gowns, took to the stage together to receive Austin's diploma.

What a great moment. Ty and Austin Coppola share the stage and graduate together! Fairport HS #2014 #brothers #twins pic.twitter.com/ydmh9uhaTp
— Patrice Walsh (@PatriceWalsh13) June 27, 2014

It was emotional moment for the 17-year-old brothers -- and for all those who witnessed it. The pair reportedly received a standing ovation from the crowd gathered. Austin took to Twitter to say the response brought him "to tears."

That standing ovation for Ty brought me to tears. The FHS class '14 will always hold a place in my heart. I hope to see all of you again !!
— Austin Coppola (@acoppola8) June 27, 2014

"This is probably going to be one of the most memorable moments of my life and it means so much to me that [Ty] can share it with me," Austin told WHAM-TV. "I'm definitely a much better person with him in my life. There's no way I would be the same without him. Not at all."

Stafford student to walk the runway at fashion show

from The Stafford County Sun:
Jose Louis Moreno-Capuzano of Stafford is a model at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Fashion Show on May 7 in Washington, D.C.The show is a fundraiser that features more than 19 models with Down syndrome— including Jose, a first-grader at Margaret Brent Elementary School.He is the son of Jose L. Moreno and Maria G. Campuzano, of Stafford County. He has two brothers, Sahid and Jesus. He is the oldest son, and like his brothers, he was born with Down syndrome.
Jose loves music, playing with his brothers, watching cartoons, playing in the park and attending school, according to organizers.

Magic shows to create awareness on special persons' rights

from The Times of India:
 

MANGALORE: Suresh Nayak, 41, hailing from Puttur, is all set to launch a campaign to spread awareness on the rights of differently-abled persons. 

Nayak, who was born with Down Syndrome, will enthrall students of government schools acrossDakshina Kannada with his magic shows. Titled as Magic Down Syndrome, his shows will spread the message-'Mental retardation is not a disease'. 

Nayak holds a world record for having the longest tongue and four national recognitions for his various skills. 

Umesh Nayak, brother of Suresh, said, "Suresh is trained by magicians at Mangala Magic Circle. He has preformed magic shows and showcased his memory power at more than 1,000 stages. He will launch his show in the district after Dasara holidays," he said adding that the programme can be extended to schools outside the district if he gets sponsors. 

Suresh is trained in 20 types of magic including production box, feather tricks, train creation and balls tricks. 

MILLER: The American Gun Owner - a brother with Down Syndrome

by Emily Miller from The Washington Times:

If you only follow liberal media and listen to President Obama, it would be easy to believe that gun owners are all bitter clingers, reckless hicks or criminals. 

The truth is that the 100 million gun owners in America are among the most responsible, patriotic, family-oriented citizens in our nation. 

We’ve been inundated with almost 1,000 photos so far that show Americans — men and women, young and old — exercising their Second Amendment rights. 

(Every photo submitted will be published. To do so, email a high-resolution version by July 9 to EmilysGuns@gmail.com.)

Along with the photos, many people have written notes explaining why they chose to get firearms and how they use them. I have been so overwhelmed with emotion by these powerful stories, that I decided to ask permission from the contributors to publish some in The Washington Times. I’m grateful to those who agreed. 

This series, “The American Gun Owner,” will help illuminate the positives of gun ownership that are rarely seen in the media. My first story is about two brothers. 

Daniel Parvin, 26, sent me a photo of his younger brother, Sam, who has Down Syndrome, shooting a .22 rifle. 

“I don’t care if you graduated from Harvard, or if you have Down Syndrome, there is nothing dangerous or intimidating about a gun unless you are uneducated and uninformed,” Daniel wrote to me.  

The Parvin brothers, who are just 18 months apart, grew up around guns. They lived in Texas until Daniel was 10 years old, then moved to Florida, where they still live. Their father, who had a safe full of firearms, taught the boys when they were very young to never touch or pick up a gun. 

“When Sam and I were kids, maybe five or six, we were running around outside and found a gun in the bushes. We immediately ran inside, got my dad, who then notified the police. I never did learn what happened to the gun or where it came from, but we knew to never touch them,” Parvin wrote to me. “As we got older, we learned how to shoot, and how to properly and safely handle firearms.” 

Sam, 24, lives with Daniel now. “He knows where I keep my .40 [caliber Springfield XD handgun], but he also knows to never touch it,” Daniel said. “In the case that I am injured and can’t use it, I know that he can because we have taught him how to fire a gun and how to do it safely.”

Daniel said that Sam enjoys shoots with him for sport. “He loves going with the boys out to the old dirt pit and shooting at clays or old cans for that matter.” 

I cried when I read Daniel’s first email. I replied that I was honored to know to know such great Americans. 

“We are just simple people who love God and love this country,” Daniel responded. “We were raised to love the Lord, love our mama, and love the freedoms and rights that this great country provides.”

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/30/miller-american-gun-owner-brother-down-syndrome/#ixzz2XpRoMfRe

Graduation a fork in the road for fraternal twins in Va.

by Robert Anderson from the Roanoke Times:
SALEM, Va.  — Almost every varsity baseball game at Hidden Valley High School over the past three years ended the same way.
With Nic Ratliff striking out.
Each home victory by the Titans from 2011 to '13 was punctuated by an unusual postgame ceremony near home plate.
Ratliff, the Titans' star senior shortstop, would hold a bat menacingly over his right shoulder as his twin brother, Ben, delivered three pitches.
Strike one.
Strike two.
Strike three.
Hidden Valley players would cheer and applaud. Then Nic would put his arm around his brother's shoulders and the two boys would walk off together.
Just like they did Friday.
Nicholas London Ratliff received his Hidden Valley diploma during the school's graduation exercises at Salem Civic Center.
Benjamin Paul Ratliff also wore a cap and gown as he took part in the ceremony with his classmates.
However, Ben was not handed the same diploma as his brother. He received a "certificate of completion" as a special education student in Roanoke County, although he will go through some additional programs at the high school. Ben likely will remain at Hidden Valley until he turns 22.
You see, Ben was born with two strikes against him.
Ben has Down syndrome.