Trisomy 21: Graduation 101 Yuuki makes it look easy

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Yuuki with her wonderful older brother

Trisomy 21 – Just Another Label for Down Syndrome

In the last month of her pregnancy, Yuuki’s mother developed toxemia and was hospitalized. The baby was born prematurely, and a cardiac abnormality was discovered in the first week. At six months of age, the baby was diagnosed with Trisomy 21, and as mother wrote, “Since then we began searching for the best solution we could find to help her develop fully.

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As a baby Yuuki had a lot of stimulation and opportunity.

When little Yuuki was two years old, her mother traveled to Philadelphia to attend the What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child Course. At that time, her daughter was creeping for transportation but not yet walking. Her body temperature was often cold and fluctuated. Mother began showing reading words to her since she was an infant, and her vision and hearing were improved as a result.

Following the course, Mother attended the Parent Lecture Series Program every six months, and received certification for completing it.

From age two onwards, she had taught her daughter thousands of reading words, sentences, and books in Japanese, and an additional 1,500 words and books in English.

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“We decided to change our life to live a life of the program. We went to Philadelphia and there we met Dr. Glenn Doman, who welcomed us warmly. This is a very precious photograph that we keep.”

Trisomy 21 – The Institues Has A Program To Help Your Child

When Yuuki was eight years old, her mother brought her for her first evaluation at The Institutes. At that time she was well ahead of other kids her age as she was reading at the 5th-grade level. She was able to brachiate independently, and could run 500 meters nonstop.

Yuuki remembers: “Working every day consistently resulted in better concentration.”

However, she was unable to take public transportation independently, her articulation when she spoke was not clear enough, and Mother noted she was still breathing through her mouth. She could write only a few words and phrases, and she was unable to tie her shoes. She still had eczema.

Yuuki worked hard on the Intensive Treatment Program. She crawled and crept, she became a runner, and she started gymnastics.

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Yuuki remembers, “At the beginning I was crawling like a struggling frog, but as I improved in crawling my balance got better and my vision got clearer. Working every day consistently resulted in better concentration.”

Her physiological program was also intense: Oxygen Enrichment, Respiratory Patterning, and an excellent nutrition program. She had an intellectual program geared to superiority: advanced problem solving, and a social growth program.

By eleven years of age, Yuuki had not had a single illness for more than two years. She was reading at the junior high school level in both fiction and non-fiction. She enjoyed writing essays, and her writing of sophisticated Chinese characters (Kanji) was also at the junior high school level. Trisomy 21 was not a permanent stumbling block for Yuuki nor her progress in all aspects of life.

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Yuuki performs at a violin concert; she started playing the violin at the age of two.


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“I love to sing and at my very first competition I earned an award, the “Doryokusho,” for my efforts.


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“As part of The Institutes Social Growth Program, I had the opportunity to experience public speaking. I am able to stay calm whatever happens.”

She delivered a formal lecture on Japanese culture to an audience of 100 people and performed a sophisticated gymnastics routine as well. She could run 3 kilometers nonstop, she learned to read music, was studying both violin and piano, and she was developing her singing ability through advanced voice lessons.

“Yuuki always strives to reach a higher level and never misses her mark.”

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Yuuki in formal kimono with her classmates at their graduation from elementary school.

At this time, she began preparing for the junior high school entrance exams. She passed those exams without difficulty and entered junior high school. Yuuki’s advocate at The Institutes, Miki Nakayachi, says of her, “Yuuki never hesitates to challenge herself – she always strives to reach a higher level and never misses her mark. Over the years she has had to take many tests: examinations in Japanese language, English, calligraphy, and mathematics. She is always able to demonstrate her ability without being nervous, since she has had so much encouragement from the time she was a little girl.”

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“In junior high school I was put in charge of the school lunch. I experienced school trips for the first time. I enjoyed school and made a lot of good memories”

Three months after she entered junior high, Yuuki traveled to Philadelphia to attend the celebration of the life of The Institutes Founder, Glenn Doman. She sang a beautiful song for the 300 guests in attendance at the event.

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Yuuki performing in the Valentine Auditorium: “I love Dr. Doman. At his ceremony I sang “Tonight” to express my gratitude to him.”

This week of travel was the only time she missed school, achieving perfect attendance for the year. Her first year of junior high school was not without unexpected challenges. Her mother was hospitalized with a fractured arm. At home with her older brother, Yuuki accomplished her mother’s daily chores, attended school, did all of her after-school activities, and visited her mother every day to make sure she was doing well.

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Yuuki with Farukh Amil, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Japan

As a successful student, Yuuki continued to sing and play the piano, and to achieve high scores in her advanced English studies as well.

In the last two years, Yuuki has successfully completed junior high school and taken the entrance exams for both public and private high school. She passed these exams, and she is now a full-time student doing very well in the private high school of her choice. Yuuki has come a long way since her diagnosis of Trisomy 21 and she is a wonderful example of what can be done with The Institutes program and a dedicated family.

At her graduation ceremony in Tokyo, she presented a lecture that detailed her journey to wellness. Janet Doman, Director of The Institutes, introduced Yuuki to the 120 parents in attendance saying, “I have known Yuuki since she was eight years old. I have never met anyone more industrious than she is. I have spent many hours over the years teaching her mother with Yuuki by her side in my office. She would always arrive in my office with a neat stack of books, writing projects, and math problems. _Then she would work every minute until her mother and I finished. She is an amazing person. I predict she will do great things. It has been a privilege to be part of her life.” _Yuuki’s presentation concluded with a medley of songs.

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Yuuki Graduating

Congratulations to Yuuki, and congratulations to her dedicated mother and her wonderful brother who supported her at every step along the way. They were determined that Yuuki would have the stimulation and the opportunity she needed to achieve her full potential and take her place in the world.

Yuuki’s advice for mothers and fathers:

“Children of The Institutes are tough. We have strong minds and bodies. Therefore Fathers and Mothers, please do not give up until your children succeed all the way.”

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A very happy day in Tokyo – Graduation – but not without some sadness as we bid farewell to our beautiful girl, Yuuki, and send her on her way.

Yuuki ended her graduation lecture with these words of thanks: “I am now a high school girl which I had been dreaming of. I am enjoying every day. I have to thank my family who supported me for the last 15 years….my beloved brother, thank you for encouraging me…thank you very much for protecting me always. Mother, Thank you very much for thinking about me always and being beside me.”

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Yuuki thanks her brother and Mother for helping her every step along the way.

Yuuki will now pioneer her own path and create her own future. We hope that parents the world over will be inspired to give their children the opportunity that helped change Yuuki’s life forever.

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