A Sutherland mother has told of her and her son’s stardom after appearing in a carpool karaoke video seen by millions of people around the world.
Julie Thompson, 43, and son Ruben, 4, from Tongue, got involved with the phenomenon to raise awareness about World Down Syndrome Day.
The pair used Makaton, a simplified form of British Sign Language, to sign the words to the film Twilight’s theme tune A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.
Now the video called “50 Mums, 50 Kids, 1 Extra Chromosome” has proved to be an enormous global hit online with at least five million views across social media.
Miss Perri has tweeted to say it was her “honour”, while carpool karaoke star James Corden, who sings with stars in a car as part of his Late Late Show in the USA, wrote “this is the most beautiful Carpool Karaoke. It made me cry.”
Mrs Thompson said: “We thought it would be for family and friends, so to see how well it has done is something of a surprise. It has been crazy.
All the Mums in the video are part of a Facebook group known as “Designer Genes” for parents who have a child with Down’s Syndrome.
Mrs Thompson said: “What we set out to show was what life is like living with Down’s Syndrome.
“It is not all sunshine and lollipops but they are your kids and you nurture and teach them and enjoy having them.”
One of the hashtags used on social media is “wouldn’t change a thing” because 94% of pre-natal diagnoses in the UK end in abortion.
For Mrs Thompson it is important to recognise that “my child’s life is worthwhile and worth considering”.
She said care has improved enormously, adding: “We now have early stage intervention, speech therapy, pre-school home visits by teachers.
“We want to dispel the myths and misconceptions about Down’s syndrome.”
“There are so many opportunities, people are becoming actors or models and living independently.”
She added: “We want to change the world a little just so it makes a little space for them.”
