Amanda DSilva
Dubai-based Indian-origin woman Amanda DSilva with Down Syndrome to feature on Times Square screen
An Indian-origin girl from Dubai will feature on the giant screen at the iconic Times Square in New York next month as part of a global Down Syndrome awareness campaign.
22-year-old Amanda DSilva, whose parents are from India, has been chosen to feature in the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) Times Square Video Presentation.
The campaign will be featured on the iconic boards of Times Square on September 6.
Her photograph was selected from more than 2,600 entries for the annual event, which showcases over 500 children and adults with Down syndrome from across the US and 11 other countries, reported Khaleej Times.
According to reports, the one-hour video will be played on two screens located above the Dos Caminos restaurant in Father Duffy Square.
The event will act as a curtain raiser for the New York City Buddy Walk.
A freelance model, Amanda also works as a hostess at a French restaurant in Sofitel Downtown Hotel.
Speaking through her mother Anita, she told Khaleej Times she is “very excited to go back to New York” and “can’t wait to see Times Square again, this time in the brightest way possible.”
Expressing her happiness, Anita told the newspaper: "This is such a proud moment for us as a family."
“Dubai has given Amanda the chance to study in mainstream schools, to find employment, and to be treated with dignity. The city’s support for people of determination is remarkable, and we are so grateful," she said.
The National Down Syndrome Society was founded in 1979.
The organisation said it empowers individuals with Down syndrome and their families by driving policy change, providing resources, engaging with local communities, and shifting public perceptions.
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