Who is 3TwentyOne?

Hello!

We're parents to a little girl with Down Syndrome. With some creative juice from dad, and some input from mum, we decided to launch 3TwentyOne - a brand that gives back x% profit to a charity close to our hearts.

Around 1 in every 1,000 babies is born with Down Syndrome. Whilst it can be detected before birth, there are many cases where families (like us!) are not aware until after their baby is born. It is a genetic condition caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome twenty-one, which is where our name comes from - 3TwentyOne!

When our daughter was born, we were quickly advised by one of the pediatricians that she may have Down Syndrome. After four days of waiting for the genetic test results, her diagnosis was finally confirmed. Every parent with a diagnosis (whether before or after birth) will have different feelings, but for us it was one of shock. We knew very little about Down Syndrome and what it meant for our daughter or for us as parents. We felt like the life we had expected for her had been snatched away and replaced with complete uncertainty.

Luckily, we were quickly put in touch with Sunshine & Smiles - the Leeds Down Syndrome network, who were so supportive and welcoming to us. The Charity was born in 2011 from a small group of parents of children with Down Syndrome who decided there needed to be a specific support network for families in Leeds. They offer fun, play and therapeutic (e.g. speech and language) sessions, social activities and support, advice and resources. They also run two cafes in the Leeds area, one in Headingley and one in Kirkstall, which provide employment opportunities for people with Down Syndrome.

Our aim at 3TwentyOne is to help increase the awareness of Down Syndrome, by creating a brand that is classic, wearable and a way of supporting the Down Syndrome community. Our pledge is to give x% profit of everything we sell to Sunshine & Smiles, so they can continue with the amazing things they do for families in the Leeds area.