The Weekly Show 10/18/25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to the weekly show here on iHeartRadio
at ninety three nine Fminal three, BAB Kiss FM and
Rock ninety five to five. This week on the show,
where you are chatting with doctor Juany Tamura, immunologist and
national spokesperson for the American Lung Association, and we'll be
talking all about the common cold, flu and COVID and
RSV as well. And also October is National Down Syndrome

(00:23):
Awareness Month, and we are chatting with Candy Pickard, CEO
and President of the National Down Syndrome Society, and I'll
be chatting with doctor Oza. We'll be talking all about
Medicaid and open enrollment as well. So let's kick off
the show.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
You've heard of the common cold and the flu, You've
heard of COVID, but RSV is actually the leading cause
of infant hospitalization in our country. Every year send me
as Maybia is eighty thousand kids under the age of
five to the hospital. And it's not only kids, it's effects.
Let's talk about it as we bring in doctor Juanita Mora,
immunologists and national spokesperson for the American Lung Association. Doctor Moore,

(01:02):
I appreciate the time.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
It's my pleasure to be speaking on such an important
topic to protect our family.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
So all of us have heard of the flu as
I mentioned, and COVID and the common cold. What is
different about RSV?

Speaker 4 (01:15):
Well.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
RSV is a respiratory virus that starts just this month October,
and it goes all the way through March. And it
tends to affect two age groups, one of the lesson
five year old because their lungs are barely developing, and
then the greater than sixty five year old. So this
is why it's important to talk about therapy because it
is the number one cost of hospitalizations and infants less

(01:39):
than one year of age, and it causes eighty thousand
hospitalizations a year in kids. So this is why it's
so important of a topic to talk about how we
can protect our kids.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Especially with infants. With kids that young who can't communicate,
how would a parent know that it's just the sniffles
or something like that or something serious that they need
the doctors care for sure.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
So RB initially begins as just a regular cold, mild symptoms.
It might be a runny nose, high fevers. But when
we definitely see developments of complications from RSC are when
all that slim that's produced by RSC drops right into
the lungs and so then babies start having trouble breathing.
How can we tell when a baby's having trouble breathing

(02:25):
is they start using their little chest muscles and so
they start moving their chest well up and down. That's
one indication to take them to the emergency department. Or
they even start having a really hacking cough that's getting worse,
or actual other science as well too, where they're turning
a little bit blue, which is always a sign to
take them to the emergency department. The other sign is

(02:47):
signs of dehydration. So a fit baby definitely doesn't want
to drink their formula or with their breast milk, so
oftentimes they're going to be very sleepy. They're not going
to be a zach to this normal, and so we
need to monitor for times and symptoms of dehydration, which
is the second cause of hospitalization in babies with RSB,

(03:08):
which is monitoring the number of what divers it a
baby has. If we start seeing them drop, if the
baby's sleeping more hours, this is another sign to take
them to the emergency department.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
If a pregnant mother gets is there an RSV vaccine?

Speaker 3 (03:23):
There is, So there's two ways to protect this baby.
One is if pregnant mommies get the RSV vaccinations between
thirty two and thirty six weeks of pregnancy, then they
naturally pass on this protection to the babies that last
about six months, which is amazing. The other way is
once the baby's born, so from zero months all the

(03:45):
way to eight months, babies can get what's called the
RSV monoclonal antibody, which is basically a shot that immediately
gives them a protection against RSB. And also it's also
indicated for high risk babies or infants and toddlers eight
months to nineteen months of age who might be basically

(04:06):
higher risk for complications from RSB. And this might be
the babies that were born premature or have congenital heart disease,
congenital lung disease, so any underlying problem that would put
them at higher risks for RSV as well too. And
what we know, because this is the actual second year
that we actually have a therapy to protect it's that

(04:26):
it drops hospitalization in babies by fifty percent, which as
analogous and immunealogies. We sees a lot of babies. This
makes me very excited to be able to protect them.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Yeah, one hundred percent. We've spoken exclusively about infants and
children thus far, but those over the age of sixty five,
generally with other pre existing conditions, are also at risk
from RSV. Let me ask you about them. How do
we know? How do any of us know the difference
between whether we have the common cold or the flu,

(04:59):
or co covid or RSV. Is there a difference in
the symptoms between the four great question.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
So a mild cold might not go right into the lungs,
so it might be more upper respiratory symptoms. It might
be the runny nose, maybe a middle nasal congestion, more
of a wet cough, et cetera. But covid, flu and
RSB are all respiratory virus that go directly to the
lungs and cross inflammation specifically of the actual small airways

(05:28):
that really produces these dark these basically very very cough
that are so dry and basically we often cannot distinguish
just based on symptoms between flu and covid nineteen and RSB.
It often requires a swap that can be done in
the general doctor's office or in the pediatrics office as

(05:50):
well too. That's very fast at telling, and often when
a baby or even an adult is taken to the
emergency department, they swab them for all three so that
way they know exactly which one is the culprit of
the actual symptoms. But there's a lot of overlapping symptoms
when it comes between these three respiratory viruses.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Right, what about allergies. I know different people can have
different allergies, flare up different times of the year, different
parts of the country. How do those differ from from
the other four we just discussed.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
Right, So allergies are not going to give the fevers.
So a lot of patients, especially around the fall time
in spring time, get what's called an allergic asthma type
of picture where a lot of the postnasal drop can
go into the lungs and cause wheezing and coughing. That
can often be mistaken for just a regular cold or virus.

(06:45):
But for many of these people, they've been suffering since
they were kids. They have a history. Every spring and
every far I get this sparky cough and this is
what basically occurs, and it goes with other allergy symptoms,
So the post nasal drop, that's needing, the it's it's
the ors sometimes blowing ice, So different types of symptoms
that go with allergies.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
We have a few more minutes with doctor Juanita Mora,
immunologist and national spokesperson for the American Lung Association. You
mentioned early on in our conversation that RSV seems like
it's a seasonal thing. Is it like the flu where
every year we have a different RSV vaccine. Where do
we know which the most prominent strain is? Things like that?

Speaker 3 (07:28):
Oh, good question. So with OURSV, exactly what they try
to do is basically it tends to stay the same
in terms. It doesn't change really in terms of tighters
or phenotypes like the other actual like blue does or
COVID nineteen doesn't really have many variants. So that's a
good thing. So that just coverage by one RSV vaccine

(07:51):
in pregnant mommies and people older than sixty five years
of age, especially with pre existing conditions, or in the
baby as well too. It's just one monoclonal antibody, which
makes it easy in terms of a scientific formula.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
I get the flu vaccine every year, not because I'm
at high risk. I just hate getting the flu because
I don't like feeling well. There are so many we're
being encouraged to take so many of these vaccinations these days.
Some people still getting you know, the COVID vaccine on
a seasonal basis. RSV who primarily should be most concerned

(08:27):
about getting the RSV vaccine. Obviously we talked about the
children with the antibodies, what about adults.

Speaker 3 (08:34):
Adults greater than sixty five years of age, because like
I said before, we have to take care of the village,
and a lot of these grandparents take care of these baby.
So if you have a sick baby and the grandparent
takes care of it, we definitely want to make sure
that the grandparents is definitely protected. But we also have
to think of sixty five years an older who have
pre existing medical conditions, so underlying lung disease like asthma

(08:59):
or coopda them for stema. Heart disease as well too,
is a big one. Cardiovascular disease high blood pressure, history
of heart failure, diabetes is another indication. Chronic kidney disease
or any type of medical condition that makes them aman
a suppressed or going to be great candidates for the
RSV vaccination, and for that one the current CDC guidelines

(09:23):
is just one vaccination, so people don't have to get
another vaccination after they get their one RSV vaccine. Currently,
we've had the RSV vaccine for greater than sixty five
years of age. This is the third year. They're still
analyzing data to see how long the tiders last, but

(09:43):
we know that it's at least good for two years.
We're going to see now people are getting tested to
see if at the third year they still have that protection.
But that's a good sign that we don't have to
revaccinate right now.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
What about those older than sixty five who should take
these vaccinations because of pre existing conditions. What about getting
the flu vaccine, the covid vaccine, RSV vaccine one after another,
all at the same time. What are the best recommendations
for that.

Speaker 3 (10:13):
Well, we have really good data that the covid vaccine
and flu vaccine can definitely be given together. There's actually
been a study that shows that giving them together actually
they augment their protection against both both of these viruses,
which is really great. Now, I usually separate as analogist
and immunologist. My own take at least by two weeks

(10:34):
the RSV vaccine from the COVID nineteen vaccine and the
flu vaccine. Then this is just to give the immune
system a little time to build a little unity against
the others and then kind of give the other one
and minimize any type of reactions. Obviously they should talk
to their doctor. But if they're a person who maybe
has as history of allergic reactions or maybe they're very

(10:57):
sensitive to vaccines, they might want to space them out
one a week for three weeks, et cetera. So it
just depends on the individual person.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
I know, depending on the year, the flu vaccine might be,
you know, thirty five percent effective might be seventy percent effective.
What about RSV? What about how are they working in
real world use these days? How effective?

Speaker 3 (11:19):
Yeah, So when they've actually looked at the data for
the RSV vaccination greater than sixty five years of age
and also in pregnant mommy, they have seen an efficacy
of greater than seventy percent in avoiding hospitalization as well
as severe symptoms that might land them into an outpatient

(11:40):
and urgent care.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Stetty it is. Is RSV a new thing because it
feels and maybe it had to do with a pandemic.
We're more familiar with these things. I don't remember ever
hearing about RSV before, you know, three or four years ago, obviously.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
Yeah, so the v has been around for a long
long time. But you're I think with the pandemic we
are talking more about respiratory viruses because we saw the
effect of a very bad respiratory virus that came in,
which was COVID nineteen, and we see the effects of
flu every single year, and we do see the devastation

(12:16):
that rs EVEN does, especially in the little ones in
the greater than sixty five years of age. But I
think now we're pushing education more to try to help
educate the public and make them really aware of the
actual therapies that we have out there to help protect them.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
There's a couple more questions for you. What do you
think the biggest misconceptions are that people have about RSV
since for most of us it's still a relatively new
virus to us.

Speaker 3 (12:44):
Sure, I think the number one that I get from
even my patients, doctor moraw are, is the only effects kids.
What are you talking about I hear about it on
the news all the time. My little nephew, my sister's
baby was in the nick you etc. With it, and
I tell them no, no, no, let's track back it.
Also like to tell them this is why you need
the vaccination.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
The other protections other than the vaccine masks. Do air
purifiers work? Does hand washing matter with something you know
that's a virus like RSV, Well, i'd.

Speaker 3 (13:19):
Be such a highly contagious virus that you can get
it from touching doornuts, sneezing, coughing, the sharing of toys
and kids, et cetera. So things that are going to help.
Universal precautions, so washing hands frequently, masking if you're sick.
I always tell parents, please, if your child is sick,
don't send your child to school, keep the jersey at home,

(13:41):
don't have the grandparents visit if their child is sick.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
As well.

Speaker 3 (13:45):
For other people, mask especially if you're around others or
you have an immunosupast person at home. I think that's very,
very important. And obviously getting the protection by getting the
RSV vaccination or the RSV monoclonal anybody in the babies,
I think it's going to be the best way to
keep the whole village protected.

Speaker 2 (14:06):
Last thing, final rule of thumb about whether it's a
child or an adult who might have any of these
illnesses RSVI, the cold of the flu, whether we should
just you know, tough it out at home or when
we should seek medical care.

Speaker 3 (14:22):
So important to notice most of these viruses. We just
start with symptomatic therapy ibuprofen, ortelantal if there's fever, maybe
a little mucinex robotusin, et cetera. But we have to
mometer for science and symptoms in both older adults and
kids as well too. If they start having any respiratory
dis dress, shortness of breath, we being feeling like their

(14:46):
chest is moving up and down. Number one indication to
go to the emergency department. Do not try to tough
it out. Let's get treatment because people might need oxygen,
they might need nebulization treatments and better support for their
lungs to kind of help them get through this virus.
The other one is dehydration. Signs. Instances of dehydration someone

(15:07):
who's not as alert or oriented, it's not drinking or
eating as well. Another sign to go to the emergency Department.
They might need IV fluids, etc. To get through these
viruses as well too, but we have to get everyone
protected so that way we make sure to have a
healthy viral and the holidays.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
I'm ride around the corner lung dot org slash RSV.
If you want more information, you could go to lung
dot org slash RSV. Doctor Juanita Mora, immunologists and national
spokesperson for the American Lung Association, thank you so much
for the time and the information. Be well.

Speaker 3 (15:48):
You're welcome. Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 5 (15:51):
Hi.

Speaker 6 (15:51):
It's Paulina here with iHeartRadio Chicago Community Affairs. Today have
a very special guest. We have doctor Oz Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid service is how are you today?

Speaker 7 (16:01):
Pulling?

Speaker 4 (16:01):
And I'm always well, but especially this time of the
year because it is open enrollment and if everyone doesn't
know what that is, that's why you're going to see
all those ads on television to try to get you
to sign up for this kind of Medicare program or
that kind of program. But I'm here to tell you
as a person responsible for administering this wonderful gem of
a program in our safe in that system, that you

(16:21):
need to come to medicare dot gov and engage us.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
Talk to us.

Speaker 4 (16:24):
We have information about the medications you're taking, of the
health issues you're struggling with that might allow you to
work through better ways of getting health insurance.

Speaker 7 (16:32):
It'll save you money.

Speaker 4 (16:34):
Obviously your health is changing as well, so we can dialogue.
And if you don't want to come to medicare dot
gov and create an account, they just call one one
hundred medicare and talk to her, to somebody who can
help you.

Speaker 7 (16:44):
Again, you're paying for you own this program.

Speaker 4 (16:46):
It is our national heritage that we're and I sign
up myself this year because you're allowed to wing you
turn sixty five, but there's sixty nine million people like
people like me on and take advantage.

Speaker 6 (16:57):
Of it absolutely, So can you tell us what's new
and exciting at medicare DOGB this specific year.

Speaker 7 (17:04):
So one of the big.

Speaker 4 (17:05):
Complaints people give to us, this is too confusing, there's
too many things happening.

Speaker 7 (17:09):
So we streamlined the program.

Speaker 4 (17:11):
We now are offering you the ability to check to
see if doctors that you're seeing are in a program
or not. We have ability to take the medications you're
on and help you figure out if there's a less
expensive way of getting those medications. Depending on the program
you're on. There's two basic ways you can get insurance.
One is a traditional Medicare, the one that was created
sixty years ago. That that by the way, no one's

(17:32):
going to touch these programs. They're very safe. Both Republicans
and Democrats love them. So we got that program Medicare.
And then we have Medicare Advantage, which is a newer
version that has an insurance company running it for you.
That can save you money, and they can give you
some of that back in terms of free memberships of
health clubs and the like. But say there are some
strings attached, so you want to decide what's best for

(17:53):
you right now in America, it's sort of fifty to
fifty and so both are good and both have limitations.

Speaker 7 (17:59):
So come get educated and once you understand more about
what options you.

Speaker 4 (18:03):
Have, again a Medicare dot gov and by creating an
account or by calling us the twenty hundred Medicare, then
all those ads that you're hearing might make more sense
to you.

Speaker 7 (18:11):
But here's a pro tip.

Speaker 4 (18:13):
If someone calls you and tries to sell you a plan,
do not take it they are cheating you, because what
is ever going to call you unless they've got bad intent.

Speaker 6 (18:23):
Well, that's really good to know, and I'm glad that
you're letting us know, Doctor os. What is the deadline
for Medicare open enrollment and then why should people start early?

Speaker 4 (18:31):
Well, it ends on December seventh, But you don't want
to make a decision it's important without checking all your
options out.

Speaker 7 (18:38):
So the first step is to go to Medicare dot gov.

Speaker 4 (18:41):
But then afterwards you're going to want to talk to
your family, listen to some of those ads, call around,
see what your friends are doing, and so give yourself
a couple of weeks to make the final decision. But
by the end up by the end of the first
week of December, you're going to have to have told
us what program you decide to use for the next year,
and you got to stick with it.

Speaker 7 (18:58):
So it's important choice.

Speaker 4 (18:59):
Being healthy is obviously about prevention. One of the ways
you prevent illness is by being prepared for and having insurance.

Speaker 7 (19:05):
Is one of those steps.

Speaker 6 (19:07):
Absolutely, And then if you were to give you know,
one just last message to these sixty nine million Americans
of Medicare about the importance of Medicare open enrollment. What
would that be.

Speaker 4 (19:19):
Is a program that is yours. It's your heritage. You
paid into it, It's precious and for that reason, treat
it like it's sacred. Come engauge us, you know, you know,
bring a child along if you want to have them
witness what you're doing, if they want to use the
website with you, or just call to one one hundred Medicare.

Speaker 7 (19:35):
But engage us. We've built a program for you. It's yours.
Come play with us. The sandbox is wonderful.

Speaker 6 (19:42):
Absolutely, doctor Oz, thanks for being here with us today
one more time. What is the website for us to go?

Speaker 3 (19:47):
Check that out?

Speaker 2 (19:48):
You go to.

Speaker 4 (19:49):
Medicare dot gov and either create an account for yourself
or call one eight hundred Medicare.

Speaker 7 (19:54):
While you're on the site, we'll walk you through it.
It's a great program to allow you to take control
of your destiny.

Speaker 6 (20:00):
Awesome, Thank you so much.

Speaker 7 (20:01):
Appreciate you well, Paulina. Take care.

Speaker 2 (20:04):
October is National down Syndrome Awareness Month. But what does
that mean? And do you even know what down syndrome is?
Let's discuss it with Candy Pickard. She's CEO and president
of the National Down Syndrome Society NDSS. Candy, I appreciate
the time, thanks for joining us.

Speaker 8 (20:19):
Happy to be here.

Speaker 2 (20:20):
So let's start off with that. I think a lot
of people might think they know what Down syndrome is
when they see it, But what is Down syndrome?

Speaker 5 (20:28):
So Down syndrome is a genetic disorder. It's the people
with Down syndrome have a third copy of the twenty
first chromosome, which creates Down syndrome. It is something that
can be diagnosed prenatally, and it's also something that some
people don't get those prenatal tests done ahead of time
and can be diagnosed post Natalie, which was my case

(20:50):
when I had my son with Down syndrome.

Speaker 2 (20:52):
Well, let me get into that a little bit. How
has your familial experience with your son affected your work
at the National Down Syndrome Society.

Speaker 5 (21:03):
Well, thank you for asking. So, my son, Mason is
now thirteen. I have been with NDSS for ten years
and celebrated ten years this year. And I think having Mason,
I did not have that prenatal diagnosis as I kind
of alluded to, and he was my fourth and final
child as I like to say, but.

Speaker 8 (21:22):
Mason really shifted my career.

Speaker 5 (21:26):
To be very honest, I think that I was always
involved in kind of operations and admin work and did
a lot of different, you know, type of operational pieces.
But after having Mason, I just wanted to get involved
with our local community and help support the Down Center community,
which led me to an opportunity at NDSS and.

Speaker 8 (21:47):
It's just been a it's been a privilege.

Speaker 5 (21:49):
For me to be able to serve this community but
also walk alongside a lot of folks who have advocated
for us for many, many years to have the rights
that we do.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
Now, You're in an interesting situation because obviously you're living
it with Mason, but also your job, which obviously is
more than a job because of Mason. What do you
think are some of the biggest misconceptions that people still
have even in this day and age, about Down syndrome
and more importantly people with Down syndrome.

Speaker 8 (22:17):
Absolutely.

Speaker 5 (22:18):
I always share this story, Nanny because and it's a
personal story to me, but I think it speaks to
how far we've come. Is when I after I had Mason,
I remember telling my grandmother at the time, who was
in her nineties has now passed, but I told her
that Mason had Down syndrome, and she had all kinds
of questions and one of the first things she asked
me was was Mason have to go to an institution?

(22:39):
And this was thirteen years ago and that.

Speaker 8 (22:42):
Was all she knew.

Speaker 5 (22:43):
So when we talk about these misconceptions, I think that's
one of them, is that folks still don't always necessarily
see that individuals with Down centerm are truly making meaningful
contributions to society. And that shifted a lot over the
last you know, you know, fe plus years. Is we're
looking at you know, medical interventions, We're looking at education shifts,

(23:06):
we're talking about integration into communities. All of that is
just showcasing, you know, what individuals with Down syndrome can do.
They're own talents and goals, just like anyone else.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
I apologize in advance if some of the questions are insensitive.
We hear a lot these days about autism, right, and
there's all sorts of places where someone could be on
the spectrum. Are there are there different levels of Down syndrome?
Or is it you have Down syndrome and this is

(23:39):
what your life is going to be like and what
you were like.

Speaker 5 (23:42):
No, I think It's a great question, and I appreciate
asking the question. I think that just like typical individuals,
right like, we all have different abilities, and I think
individuals with Down center are very much in that same
same piece. There are cognitive delays right with individuals with
Now there is another type of Down syndrome called mosaic

(24:03):
Down syndrome, which they have less cognitive delays than they
do with with trisomy twenty one. So there are some
differences in that I don't believe, and I'm not a doctor,
so I can't medically speak to this, but I don't
believe that there's an actual spectrum like there is within
the autism community. But I think when we look at
individuals with Down syndrome, there are dual diagnoses as well.

(24:24):
So there's individuals with Down syndrome who have autism, there's
individuals with Down center who have other you know, diagnoses
that you know can sometimes either create more challenges or
create just different you know, health needs that that our
community might have.

Speaker 2 (24:39):
You mentioned it's a genetic disorder. Do we know what
causes the disorder?

Speaker 8 (24:43):
That's a very good question.

Speaker 5 (24:45):
I'm probably not the most equipped person to answer that,
but I think it's a splitting of a chromoson if
I'm if I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 8 (24:51):
Off the top of my.

Speaker 5 (24:51):
Head without having all the details in front of me,
I think it's not something that's genetic, you know. I
think that it is a genetic kind of disorder, but
it's not something that's passed down. There's a lot of
unique stories to where you have individuals or mothers and
fathers that may have a set of twins and one
has Down syndrome and one doesn't have Down syndrome. And

(25:12):
there's also stories out there about twins of two individuals
with Down center, which is more rare. And then you
even get to the point maning, where you have two
separate burths that have you.

Speaker 8 (25:23):
Know, they have individuals with Down center.

Speaker 5 (25:24):
So I think there's still a lot of research being
done in that space to truly understand these correlations and connections.

Speaker 2 (25:31):
You mentioned about your grandmother and all of the questions.
It does feel though, like we've come a long way.
I remember, I'm old, but I remember when I was
growing up in the seventies and eighties, we kind of
had a different a different view of people with Down syndrome.
And now you see them and many of them. I

(25:52):
don't know they're completely self sufficient, but they're productive adults
in our society, and we have a different view of
about exactly what it means to have Down syndrome that
we might have thirty or forty years ago.

Speaker 5 (26:05):
Absolutely absolutely, and I think that's NDSS was founded by
a mom who wanted more for her daughter with Down.
Center Mans was in nineteen seventy nine, and I think
that from the beginning of ndss's founding, we really wanted
to shift that conversation from what people with Down syndrome
can't do to what it takes to help them thrive.

Speaker 8 (26:25):
And I think that that's all.

Speaker 5 (26:27):
Very different and unique to each family. But I think
that one of the bigger things that has happened over
you know, the last few decades.

Speaker 8 (26:35):
Is around inclusion.

Speaker 5 (26:36):
And I think that we've seen inclusion in workplaces, We've
seen inclusion in schools and in society.

Speaker 8 (26:42):
And I think that you know, when you get to
know somebody with Down.

Speaker 5 (26:46):
Syndromet will it will change your life and it will
change it for the better to where you start to
presume competence and also look at what supports this person
would need to really thrive.

Speaker 8 (26:58):
In their society.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
A couple more minutes here with Candy Pickard, CEO and
President of the National Down Syndrome Society. How how do
you envision Mason living in five, ten, fifteen years, because
the needs do change as they become adults.

Speaker 5 (27:17):
Absolutely, And I think, you know, obviously, Mason's unique, and
he has his own strengths and weaknesses.

Speaker 8 (27:22):
And I always compared to.

Speaker 5 (27:23):
My other three children that I have. But I think
you know right now, if I was to ask Mason
what he wants to be when he grows up, you know,
he wants to be a musician and writes.

Speaker 8 (27:33):
All into music. We start, we start guitar lessons tonight, Manny.
We're very excited about him.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
What music does he like? What musicians is he like?

Speaker 5 (27:41):
Oh jeez, well, we have this privilege many of working
very closely with Mark Tremonti, who is who is an
amazing guitar player and a founder of Creed and all
these fames. And he has a daughter with Down syndrome,
and so Mason has been on a Creed and alter
Bridge kind of path over the last you know, a
few years since we've gotten to know Mark.

Speaker 8 (28:01):
So when he goes to guitar lessons. He wants to
play like Mark Tremonti, which it might take.

Speaker 5 (28:05):
Him a little bit of time to get there and
to do that, but he's inspired him right to do more.
But I think, you know, when I look at the
future for Mason, I mean as I want with all
my other kids, and I just want productive members of society,
right I want Mason to be able to fill his
goals and his dreams of whatever.

Speaker 4 (28:24):
That might be.

Speaker 5 (28:25):
Right now.

Speaker 8 (28:25):
He wants to be on stage and be a performer.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
That's awesome.

Speaker 5 (28:29):
And so I think that when I look at that
as my job as a mom, and even as you
know the leader of NDSS is how do we how
do we make our dreams for our loved ones with
Down syndrome come true? And there's always different ways for
our community to be involved and to be part of
these these stories, and each and everyone, each want, every
one of your listeners has an opportunity to be part

(28:50):
of those stories and that inclusive behavior.

Speaker 2 (28:54):
Can I tell you something just listening to you, I
don't know the work that you do for the nash
A Down Syndrome Society, but your answer that you just
gave me to that question the joy which you spoke
about your son, Mason, and the fact that you compare
Mason to your three other kids. I think that alone,

(29:16):
listening to you dispels any misconceptions or myths people might
have about the abilities of of someone with Down syndrome.
It was it made me smile from the inside out.
It was beautiful.

Speaker 5 (29:29):
Oh well, thank you. I mean I think that that's
that's a piece that I always you know, when somebody
gets to diagnosis of down center and the first thing
that I always say, and that I encourage everybody to say,
is congratulations.

Speaker 8 (29:41):
I mean, it's a baby, and it is a baby
who is going to bring so much joy to your life.

Speaker 5 (29:47):
And there could be different experiences that you have within that,
but I can you know, I can guarantee that when
our community gets together, there is when you talk about joy,
there's so much joy in the Down syndroom community, It's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
October, as I mentioned, is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
What does this month mean for you, not only obviously
as a parent, but in your job. What do you
hope this month brings in terms of awareness?

Speaker 5 (30:14):
Yeah, I mean for us, it is about awareness, but
I think it's just taking the opportunity to either get
involved in your local community with a Down syndrome association
that's locally, get involved with us nationally. We do a
lot of work in policy and health and awareness. I
think it is just for us about just get to

(30:36):
know somebody with Down syndrome, or take even the extra
step and maybe you hire somebody with Down syndrome in
in your you know, in your place of employment, or
you consider doing an internship, or just give.

Speaker 8 (30:48):
Somebody an opportunity to have a conversation.

Speaker 5 (30:50):
Just as simple as that, because I guarantee you that
if you hire somebody with Down cindern for example, they
will be your most loyal employee that you ever find.

Speaker 8 (31:00):
There is a story just very quickly.

Speaker 5 (31:02):
I know your time is limited, but there's a young
man who who had a death in his family most recently,
and you know, they said he had to take some
time off from his job to do that, and he said,
you know, I don't, my job needs me. And after
the passing of this very close loved one of him,
he showed up to work you know a few hours
later and wanted to you know, show up for his

(31:25):
employees and for his employer to be able to follow
through with what.

Speaker 8 (31:28):
He needed even though it was very clear to him
he did not need to go to work.

Speaker 5 (31:32):
And I think that that just speaks to people with
DOWN syndrome, like show up for each other, but they
also show up for us and in really special ways
that I think we could learn a lot from them
on how we show up for each other, you know,
in our communities.

Speaker 2 (31:44):
The website, by the way, is NDSS dot org National
Down Syndrome Society dot org and d SS. What about
events this month? I know you do things called buddy
walks and things like that to build awareness and commune.

Speaker 5 (32:01):
Absolutely so October, as you mentioned, it is down some
awareness months. It's also National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It
is prime time for buddy walk season. So we are
in the midst of a lot of local communities hosting
just buddy walks awareness walks. It's a short, probably one
mile walk around you know, a local park, but it's
a great way to get involved. We're also are hosting

(32:23):
some webinar series around caregivers and other different aspects of
our organization.

Speaker 8 (32:30):
And then as we go into the end of the year,
we're going to.

Speaker 5 (32:32):
Be promoting some self advocate owned businesses. So if you're
looking for any sort of gifts for the holidays season,
there's some great self advocates out there that are selling
some amazing gifts that have their own businesses.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
Last thing for you, for listeners who might want to
get involved in some of those events or just to
try and make a difference during Awareness Month, what's the
best place for them to go? Where do they start?

Speaker 8 (32:54):
Yeah, you can follow us on follow NDSS on social media.

Speaker 5 (32:57):
Typically our handle is at NDSS org RG that should
have all of our events, advocacy, local programs that should
be on there, or as you mentioned, our website which
is NBSS dot org.

Speaker 2 (33:07):
All right, I'm doing it right now on my Instagram.
Candy Pickard, CEO, President of the National Down Syndrome Society,
Thank you for your time, thank you for what you're
doing and the true joy you clearly bring to the job.
I really appreciate it. Best of luck.

Speaker 8 (33:22):
Thank you so much. Benny