Mile High Down Syndrome Association

Parents, who felt a need to associate more closely with other parents of children with Down syndrome, formed the Mile High Down Syndrome Association in 1981. The association provides support, information, and referral services to over 4,000 callers each year.

It is the mission of Mile High Down Syndrome Association to assure inclusion and enhance independence of people with Down syndrome.

The vision of MHDSA is a society where all members are valued for their uniqueness, respected for their contribution and assured the opportunity and choice to create their own path to fulfillment and success.

MHDSA works with the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute on research projects, which focus on enhancing the health and cognitive strengths of individuals with Down syndrome. The association is affiliated with the National Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down Syndrome Society.

Additional supporting organizations include MCPN, the Sie Foundation, The Denver Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Education Fund, and the Galen and Ada Belle Spencer Foundation.

Eleanor Roosevelt Institute

The Eleanor Roosevelt Institute (ERI) was founded more than 40 years ago on the belief that biomedical and genetic research are the most effective, long-term approaches to the eventual conquest of human disease. ERI's mission is to seek an in-depth understanding of the process of life and through this understanding work towards unlocking the mysteries of human health and disease.

ERI participated in decoding the 21st chromosome, as part of the Human Genome Project. Down syndrome, one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities in humans, occurs when an error in cell division called non-disjunction results in an embryo with three number 21 chromosomes instead of two. The 21st chromosome is also associated with Alzheimer's and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). ERI's current research includes a trial aimed at reducing cognitive decline in individuals with Down syndrome over the age of 50 and studies on sensory integration and motor coordination in persons with Down syndrome.

In 2003, ERI joined forces with the University of Denver. The University of Denver has strong research and teaching programs in biological sciences and biochemistry. This merger will boost Colorado's prominence as a center for biomedical research. DU also has a nationally recognized cognitive neurosciences program that combines the disciplines of psychology and biology.