A happy story

Wanting a break from politics, I searched for some happy news today. The story of 20-year-old Rion Holcombe will do just nicely.

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20-year-old Rion Holcombe with his letter from Clemson University.

A happy story

This has been a slow news morning, apart from a few political developments. Since I've covered enough political stories to last to the rest of the year, I tried to find something new, different and happy.

The story of Rion Holcombe will do just nicely. 20-year-old Rion has Down's syndrome, a condition caused by a chromosome abnormality.

It is a relatively common condition – we have two young men with it in our condominim – and easy to spot. The condition slows down normal growth, causes distinct facial characteristics and normally results in a diminished intellectual capacity.

Happily, nowadays there are more and more opportunities for those with Down syndrome to live a near-normal life. Many now finish high school and Rion wants to go one step further.

Rion has applied to a special program at Clemson University in the US state of South Carolina called LIFE. It is designed for students with intellectual disabilities who want to continure their studies beyond high school and attend classes on a college campus.

Recently, he received a letter from Clemson and his mother turned on the video camera as he opened it. Is Rion going to go to the university, i.e., was he accepted? Watch. (Don't cry).

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