People 'automatically go to a place of sympathy' when they hear Down syndrome 

Cork mother Danielle Hayes says the subsidised Down Syndrome Centre has played a hugely supportive role in her daughters’ lives but is surprised about the lack of public awareness around the condition

Twins Chloe and Sophia Hayes, both aged two, beam with delight after showing off their new standing skills — made even better by big rounds of applause. Picture: Chani Anderson

“There’s nothing wrong with my babies. My babies are perfect.”

This was the reaction of seven-year-old Corey Hayes, after one of his classmates expressed "sympathy" for the fact that Corey's identical twin sisters, Chloe and Sophia, have Down syndrome.