Beaufort woman makes splash in New York’s Times Square. ‘Best extra chromosome ever’
The beaming smile of a Beaufort woman greeted visitors to New York City’s Times Square over the weekend where giant screens displayed the photographs of hundreds of people from across the country with Down syndrome.
Caroline Campbell was among hundreds who took part in Saturday’s annual National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) Times Square Video presentation in one of the world’s most recognizable commercial districts.
The one-hour video features over 500 photographs of children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 11 countries. The collective images highlight individuals with Down syndrome on two screens in the heart of Times Square.
The photo of Caroline the NDSS chose for the video shows her standing under a palmetto tree in her Beaufort backyard wearing a T-shirt that says, “Best Extra Chromosome Ever.”
Campbell and her family were also were at the event in person.
Campbell, 32, was selected from more than 2,600 entries in the NDSS worldwide call for photos and her photo was shown on two Jumbotron screens above Dos Caminos restaurant in Father Duffy Square with the presentation livestreamed on the NDSS Facebook page.
The video kicked off the New York City Buddy Walk which takes place at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park and has occurred in New York City since 1995. The walk was created by NDSS to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome and to raise funds.
Campbell and her parents, Jennifer and Kenny Campbell, were in New York to see the video and participate in the Buddy Walk.
It isn’t the first time Campbell has made a splash. In 2021, she attracted media attention when she finished copying the entire Bible by hand. The project, which she began in 2012, took nearly 10 years to complete. It required 10,493 pages of note paper, 43 plastic binders and Campbell’s determination to finish the job.
