Help Provide Care for People with Down Syndrome
Who was Jerome Lejeune?
Dr. Lejeune discovered the cause of Down syndrome and dedicated his life to providing care and advocating for the vulnerable. A man of devout faith and an ardent advocate for life, he served as a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences starting in 1974 and became president of the Pontifical Academy for Life in 1994. Following his death, the Roman Catholic Church opened the case for his beatification in 2007. In 2021, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, bestowed the title “Venerable” upon Jerome Lejeune in recognition of his “heroic virtues”—a key step in the investigative process that typically leads to canonization by the Church.
Why Does the U.S. Need a Medical Center for People with Down Syndrome?
Did you know that the average medical costs for children with Down syndrome are twelve times higher than for those without? They have an increased risk of health problems and may often present signs and symptoms differently – requiring specialized care. But most doctors in the U.S. aren’t equipped to provide it.
What is the Jerome Lejeune Foundation doing to help?
Fortunately, that is why we are here. In March 2021, Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA partnered with Bella Health + Wellness to open a medical center for those with Down syndrome in Denver, Colorado. The mission of Bella is to embrace the dignity of every person by promoting healing and wellness through a natural and scientific approach with a sincere compassion for life.
The medical center is modeled after the Jerome Lejeune Institute in France, where doctors have been working for decades with patients who have Down syndrome! That unprecedented experience and knowledge is being transferred to medical staff here in the U.S. via a training program currently under development.
What kind of care will patients receive?
The Jerome Lejeune Foundation medical center has launched a pilot program first providing medical care for children with Down syndrome, and will expand later to adult patients. The medical center provides holistic consultations that are adapted to the individual needs of each patient with Down syndrome and their caregivers.
Over time, it will expand to provide lifelong multidisciplinary care, utilizing the expertise from professionals specializing in a range of disciplines, and offering:
- Child and adolescent psychiatric services
- Diagnosis and therapy for sleep disorders
- Lab services
- Neuropsychological evaluation
- Pain management services
- Pediatric behavioral services
- Pediatrics radiology services
- Physical therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Rehabilitation services
- Speech therapy (pediatric language development and articulation)
We still need your help to expand our medical services to people with Down syndrome of all ages! Donate today.