WHEREAS, During the month of March, “Trisomy Awareness Month” is observed to encourage citizens to increase their awareness of trisomy, a genetic disorder that deeply affects families; and

WHEREAS, Trisomy is the presence within a person’s cells of a single extra chromosome, yielding a total of three chromosomes instead of a pair. As a type of aneuploidy, trisomy can occur with any of the 23 pairs of chromosomes individuals have; and

WHEREAS, The most common trisomies in newborns are trisomy 21, or Down syndrome, trisomy 18, or Edwards syndrome, and trisomy 13, or Patau syndrome; and

WHEREAS, Local support groups, medical professionals, and online communities offer education, encouragement, and counseling for those managing trisomy pregnancies or raising trisomy-affected children; and

WHEREAS, Now is the time for all Californians to educate themselves on all forms of trisomy, support families currently experiencing trisomy, and participate in helping people with developmental disabilities achieve their full potential; now, therefore, be it