Ponteland children included in photographs for World Down Syndrome Day

The portraits by County Durham-based photographer Debbie Todd mark the launch of a year-long campaign called ‘Extra Ordinary’ aimed at showcasing the unique qualities of children with Down Syndrome, which will culminate in an exhibition in March 2025.

She put them together along with biography detail provided by families.

The information for four-year-old Eva, from Ponteland, includes that she loves playing with her dolls, dancing and chocolate.

The information for three-year-old William, also from Ponteland, includes that he loves running around and exploring outside, and his favourite book is ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’, which he is photographed with.

Debbie said: “I’ve called this series ‘Extra Ordinary’ to reflect the fact that children with an extra ‘21’ chromosome with Down Syndrome are just the same as all other children. They have their own personalities and likes and dislikes and their own sense of self and style.

“They want to do everything other children do and to be accepted and represented fairly, and my campaign aims to showcase the stories of some children with Down Syndrome to normalise it and promote inclusion.”

To find out more about Debbie’s work and the progress of her ‘Extra Ordinary’ project follow her Instagram at @debbietoddphotographer.

She is currently seeking funding to support the development of the ‘Extra Ordinary’ project and can be contacted via her Instagram page or her website at www.debbietodd.co.uk