UpsideDowns: Boost for kids with Down syndrome from Auckland Airport

Fiona Kenworthy from Small Talk Therapy helps 5 year old Micah Sullivan from Clevedon School as part of the education that is offered by UpsideDowns Education Trust. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Herald is profiling 12 charities awarded $12,000 each from Auckland Airport’s Twelve Days of Christmas campaign. Each grant is made up of $10,000 donated by generous travellers who placed unwanted currency into money boxes dotted around the airport’s terminals in 2023, and as a cherry on top, Auckland Airport has gifted each charity an additional $2000.

“Signs out,” declares 10-year-old Emma as she swings a lollipop sign onto the pedestrian crossing outside her school. She tells fellow students to wait and checks to see that the road is clear before directing them to “cross now”.

For Emma, who lives with Down syndrome, having the confidence to participate in road patrol duty and communicate clear instructions in this way has been made possible by one-on-one speech language therapy, subsidised through the UpsideDowns Education Trust.

Now, this priceless gift of speech will be available to more young Kiwis with Down syndrome, with $12,000 grant from the Auckland Airport’s Twelve Days of Christmas campaign.

UpsideDowns is one of 12 charities being gifted $10,000 for work in South Auckland communities. This is funded by donations from generous travellers who have visited the airport in 2023 and who place their unwanted foreign currency into moneyboxes dotted around the terminals. As a cherry on the top, Auckland Airport has gifted and additional $2000 per grant.

Auckland Airport’s chief corporate services officer Melanie Dooney says the $12,000 grant will help UpsideDowns extend its language therapy service to more kids with Down syndrome in South Auckland, where its waiting list is growing.

Fiona Kenworthy from Small Talk Therapy helps Micah Sullivan, 5, from Clevedon School as part of the education that is offered by UpsideDowns Education Trust. Photo / Greg Bowker

“We are delighted the grant will help UpsideDowns fund its life-changing therapy for 24 South Auckland families currently supported by the charity,” Dooney says.

UpsideDowns fundraising manager Adrian Hatwell says one in every 1000 children born in New Zealand have Down syndrome, a chromosomal condition, and almost all need dedicated one-on-one speech therapy to help them speak, read and write.

But this is not publicly funded and the cost of private therapy, ranging from $2000-$10,000 a year, puts it out of reach of many families.

“Having to decide between paying the bills and your child’s ability to communicate is not a choice anyone should have to make so, UpsideDowns was founded in 2003 to make sure people didn’t have to make it,” Hatwell says.

About half of the population of children with Down syndrome in Auckland, and approximately one-third nationally, are supported by UpsideDowns to have one-on-one speech therapy sessions.

UpsideDowns have received a grant from Auckland Airport as part of the 12 days of Christmas. Photo / Greg Bowker

“Communication is a huge challenge for kids with Down syndrome and without this kind of support, a lot will remain non-verbal throughout their life,” Hatwell says.

Speech therapy is shown to improve outcomes in relation to social inclusion, mental and physical health, education and employment, he says.

“We get amazing feedback from various whānau. We have families of our preschool-aged kids thrilled their child has learned signs or to express how they are feeling or what they need. We get told they hear words their kid has never spoken before, in a variety of contexts, and they are bringing home books to read to their family,” Hatwell says.

“These kids are amazing, but they are also just kids and want to do what all Kiwi kids want to do; they want to socialise, be creative and go out for sports and there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to do that. All we need to do is ensure they have the right support so they can live safe, healthy independent lives.

“Our goal is that everyone who needs it can access this vital and life-changing therapy.”