Down Syndrome Institute: Michael Clarke introduces his best mate Kevin Corcoran

Meet Kevin Corcoran, Michael Clarke’s best buddy of more than 10 years and the man who keeps Australia’s former cricket captain grounded.

Michael Clarke admits he’s one very lucky man, thanks to a special person in his life.

It doesn’t matter whether the former captain hits a century or a duck, this person loves him unconditionally.

Meet Kevin Corcoran, Clarke’s best buddy of more than 10 years and the man who keeps him grounded.

“What I love most about Kev is that smiling face, that energy he brings every single day,” Clarke said.

“His energy is contagious and I’m very lucky to have built a friendship with this great man.”

Michael Clarke and Kevin Corcoran have been mates for more than 10 years. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The feeling is mutual.

I think Michael is amazing,” Kevin said, adding: “He is pretty good at what he does” when asked if his mate goes all right on the cricket pitch.

This friendship is one of mutual respect. Kev’s Down syndrome is not a barrier in the eyes of Clarke, who says he’s never understood “what all the fuss is about”.

“If my daughter was here you would see what I see. My daughter doesn’t know any different. She would run and give Kev a big high five. She couldn’t care less that he has Down syndrome,” Clarke said.

“To me I think that is a myth that I don’t understand. The idea that people would treat Kev differently.

“We do it so often in life … let’s assume, judge and then find out the truth later.”

Liz Smith with baby Mary. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Clarke insists he’s the “lucky one” in the friendship.

“If I was having a bad day, or had taken a tough phone call or something, Kev would notice I was grumpy like anyone else who knows me well, he’d walk in with the mail and quickly turn back around and think: ‘Oh boy, I’ll come back later’,” Clarke joked.

“Or there would be something he would say and it would make me think: ‘I needed that, I just needed him to walk in at that moment’.”

Kev has worked for 16 years at Bell Partners as a Client Services Officer.

“The first time Kev and I met in his office actually, I was playing cricket for Australia and I needed a work space.

“So I put my office in where Kev was already working. From day one Kev made me and my PA and staff feel really comfortable and it just didn’t change.

“From the day I met him he was always the friendliest, always the happiest, and I might have got a duck, I might have made a 100 but to Kev it made no difference.”

Unfortunately, not all Australians have the same understanding of people with Down syndrome.

In fact, an estimated 90 per cent of pregnancies with a Down syndrome diagnosis are terminated in Australia. Mothers who choose to have their babies face hurdles all the way.

Bridie Louden, pictured with mum Julie Louden, is heading into Year 12. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Lizzy Smith found out she had a one in four chance of having a baby with Down syndrome and never considered terminating.

“We found out when I was 12 weeks pregnant, her neck was showing signs,” said the mother of four from Wilton.

“Straight away we were like: ‘It doesn’t matter to us. We will find out when she is born’.

“Right up to just on 30 weeks pregnant I was asked by doctors and medical people if I was going to terminate,” she said, adding Down syndrome babies can be terminated up until 36 weeks.

“Doctors were saying to me: ‘Your baby is not going to be normal, not going to be ­accepted, that it was cruel continuing with the pregnancy,” Mrs Smith said.

“When Mary was four days old I had staff at the hospital saying: ‘Oh, you have decided to keep her, have you?’.”

Julie Louden understands Mrs Smith’s plight.

“We were told we had a one in 297 chance of having a baby with Down syndrome,” she said.

Eighteen years later, her daughter Bridie is going into Year 12 and dreaming of a job at Office Works because of her love of all things art and drawing, textas and colouring pencils.

“We didn’t know until Bridie was a week old that she had Down syndrome,” the proud mum said. “Apart from that one test, all the other numbers and markers from ultrasounds were all normal. So we were very surprised.”

Ms Louden, from Penrith, works answering the phones for parents who call Down Syndrome NSW for support.

“People are calling asking what specific Down syndrome clinics there are but there are none,” she said.

She’s thrilled about the establishment of the new Down Syndrome Institute.

“The institute is very necessary; it will address the lack of specific health care. and give us the much needed data and expertise we are lacking.”

WE CANNOT LEAVE THEM BEHIND

People with Down syndrome are being left behind when it comes to research and medical care.

The country is well behind international best practice, prompting a leading advocate to develop the country’s first-ever Down Syndrome Institute.

Kevin Corcoran (L to R), Michael Clarke, Emily Caska holding Mary Smith, and Bridie Louden. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Down Syndrome NSW CEO Emily Caska, the driving force behind the institute to be launched on Tuesday, said in Australia “we don’t even know how many people have Down syndrome, nor do we invest in research and medical care for better outcomes”.

“Down syndrome is not just an intellectual disability. People with Down syndrome have medical, functional, neurological presentations that are unique courtesy of the triplication of the 21st chromosome,” Ms Caska said.

“While some biomarkers of Down syndrome are well recognised, such a hypertonia, almond shaped eyes, shorter stature, the single palmar hand crease to name a few, there remains much we don’t know.

“At every stage, the institute has been designed with and for people with Down syndrome and their families.”

The Down Syndrome Institute will partner with key health, research and innovation entities, universities, corporate leaders, government as well as key individuals and experts within Australia and internationally.

A key priority will be spearheading Australia’s first annual Down Syndrome Register, a centralised knowledge bank, the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group Australia and an innovation hub, as well as working towards Australia’s first Down Syndrome Clinic.

“This is what people with Down syndrome and their families have told us they need and we’ve seen it work around the world,” Ms Caska said.

“This matters because loved ones with Down syndrome matter.”

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