Life

Local girl shines brightly in Times Square

ALPENA - Sadie Couture's smile landed in one of the most visible places on Earth. On Saturday, Sept. 12, the Alpena resident appeared in the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) Times Square Video Presentation, a one-hour montage of more than 500 photographs of children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 12 countries.

The images played on two Jumbotron screens above Dos Caminos restaurant in Father Duffy Square, in the heart of Times Square, with support from Clear Channel Outdoor. The presentation was livestreamed on the NDSS Facebook page.

Sadie Couture's photo was chosen from more than 2,700 entries in the organization's worldwide call for photos.

"It felt good," Sadie Couture said. "I was very excited."

Her mother, Stephanie Couture, learned of the selection by email and booked a hotel room before the family told Sadie Couture. They waited, Stephanie Couture said, because once her daughter knew, "that would be all they would hear about."

Sadie Couture's father, Tim Couture, made the trip as well.

"It was huge just to be selected. That is an honor in itself," Stephanie Couture said. "Just to have her up there was special. She has always wanted to be famous."

The honor, Stephanie Couture said, did more than put a picture on a screen.

"It made her feel inspired to do even more," she added.

In the selected photograph, Sadie Couture wears a Rock Her Socks shirt, bright leggings, and mismatched socks. When asked about the outfit she jokingly said her mom "picked it out."

The image was captured by Adrienne Ann Photography of Alpena during a special session in which the photographer volunteered to do a special photo shoot for children with Down syndrome for World Down Syndrome Day on March 21. Mismatched socks have become a familiar symbol of the day, a visual nod to the extra copy of chromosome 21 that causes Down syndrome.

The Times Square video is the opening act for the New York City Buddy Walk, held at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The flagship walk has taken place in New York since 1995 as part of the National Buddy Walk Program, which NDSS created that year to promote acceptance and inclusion and to raise money for local and national initiatives. About 150 Buddy Walk events are now held in communities across the country and in select international locations.

Founded in 1979, NDSS works to empower people with Down syndrome and their families through policy advocacy, resources, community engagement, and efforts to change public perceptions. The organization supports people across the lifespan of education, employment, health and wellness, and aging. In addition to the Buddy Walk program and the Times Square video, NDSS hosts the NDSS Adult Summit and the Down Syndrome Advocacy Conference.

For the Coutures, the New York trip coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. They did not attend the official ceremony, but they drove by the site. While in the city they met a mother who lost her father on Sept. 11 and lost her son, who had Down syndrome, last year.

"It was a real humbling experience," Stephanie Couture said.

Sadie Couture's own story includes a medical fight that began when she was an infant. She underwent open-heart surgery at six months old.

"God saved me," she said.

That sense of possibility resonates in how she talks about disability. Asked what she wants people to know about those with Down syndrome, she did not hesitate.

"I want people to know everyone is different and that's okay," Sadie Couture said. "Anything is possible, even if you have little hands."

Back in Alpena, the spotlight has not replaced ordinary work and rehearsal. Sadie Couture works three nights a week for On the Spot Cleaning Services. Stephanie Couture said 42nd Dance Studio created a class for their group. The class now has nine dancers, with a recital planned for October.

The Times Square moment, Stephanie Couture said, has already taken on a life of its own in her daughter's imagination.

"The funny thing is now Sadie thinks her picture is going to be on the jumbotron when the ball drops on New Year's Eve," she said jokingly.

Whether or not that happens, Sadie Couture has already been seen by thousands of people passing through one of the busiest intersections in the world - a young woman from Northern Michigan, in mismatched socks, insisting that difference is not a barrier.

Josh Jambor can be reached at jjambor@thealpenanews.com.