The fifth annual Basi Family Concert raised over $10,000 for the Down Syndrome Institute, a Kansas City based non-profit that supports children with Down Syndrome
Thatâs the experience of Makenzie Hirschinger, who lives in Fulton.Â
In-home caregiver and mother Makenzie Hirschinger feeds her 1-year-old son, Jensen, who has Down syndrome. Annabel Thorpe, KOMU 8 Reporter
Hirschinger is a mother to 9-year-old Ayden, 2-year-old Spencer, and 1-year-old Jensen. Spencer has cerebral palsy, which is a motor disability, and Jensen has Down syndrome, which means he has an additional chromosome that alters the course of his development.
Both of these medical complexities may put Jensen and Spencer at a high-risk for severe illness if they were to contract COVID-19, according to the Center for Disease Control. If they were adults, they would fall into the high-risk category currently being vaccinated in Missouri under Phase 1B - Tier 2.