Athletes Help Cheerleader With Down Syndrome Defy Bullies

[ripcord]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/13/392782830/athletes-help-cheerleader-with-down-syndrome-defy-bullies

In Wisconsin, what began as a heartwarming show of courtesy and affection is now making Desiree Andrews, 14, into an international celebrity.
Desiree is a cheerleader at Lincoln Middle School in Kenosha, Wis. She has Down syndrome — and as some hecklers learned last year, she has the full support of her school's basketball team and her community.
After realizing members of the crowd were making fun of Desiree during a game, three players went into the crowd during a timeout with a simple message: "Don't mess with her."
"We were mad; we didn't like that," Miles Rodriguez, one of the players who stood up for Desiree, tells the Kenosha News. "We asked our sports director to talk to the people and tell them not to make fun of her."
At that game, Desiree's father, Cliff Andrews, was also angry — and he tells the News that that was the only thing that seemed to be bothering his daughter.
"She saw that I was upset," Andrews told the newspaper Thursday. "She threw her hands around me and made me look at her face and said, 'Papa, it's OK. I still love them even if they don't like me.' "
Sparked by the players' actions, the school eventually named its gym for Desiree, calling it "D's House." She is introduced at home games, along with the team.
"It's amazing," Desiree tells the News.

It is nice to here that some people are still willing to defend others. "Papa, it's OK. I still love them even if they don't like me." and some people have the nerve to speak ill of people with Downs.

[uppityperson]

1. My child's class was very supportive of the one child with down's in their school. It was great

learning for many of them, to accept this person for who they were. Graduation was very fun, with a loud cheer from (pretty much) all the kids in attendance. My father attended and was very pleased seeing not just the adult support but how supportive the peers were.

Good for kids at this school. Very good.