Valley Cottage Teen Walks in Colorado Fashion Show | The Rockland County Times

Ty Dillon, a Valley Cottage teen, strutted his stuff on the Colorado runway this past Saturday in the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show. The fashion show, which is now in its 16th year, has raised $28.5 million for Down Syndrome research and advocacy through the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, and is the largest fundraiser for Down Syndrome in the world. 

Ty is one busy teenager – he loves music, naming AC/DC, Queen, The Who and Ed Sheeran as his favorite artists. When not jamming out to his top tunes, Ty is engaged in karate, kickboxing, dance, playing music, and serving as an altar server at his church. The Rockland renaissance man recently took a break from his packed schedule to walk the runway for a third time and “show off [his] moves”, stated Ty. Julia, Ty’s mother, shared how uplifting the event has been the last three years, and how they have been able to “meet other advocates and have some fun meeting a lot of great people”. 

One of these great people is Ty’s uncle, Matt Dillon, of “The Outsiders” and “Drugstore Cowboy” fame. Matt was contacted by the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show and asked to participate, along with stars such as Woody Harrelson, Laura Linney and Jessica Biel. According to Ty’s mother Julia, the Be Beautiful Be Yourself team were not, at the time, aware that Dillon had a nephew with Down Syndrome. Many of the celebrities in attendance are connected to people with Down Syndrome. This comes as no surprise, since according to Global about 38% of Americans are personally connected to someone who has Down Syndrome. The celebrity attendance is also a part of how the Be Beautiful Be Yourself team draws attention to the event, which shines a spotlight on Down Syndrome awareness and research. 

Not only does the show encapsulate the beauty and brilliance of people with Down Syndrome, it also works to call attention to the vast disparity of funds for Down Syndrome Research. According to Global, Down Syndrome is currently the least funded major genetic condition. This fact stands in stark contrast to the condition being the most common chromosomal disorder, with 1 out of every 700 babies being born with the condition. 

As recently as the 1980s, life expectancy for people with Down Syndrome was only 25 years old. Life expectancy has now risen to 60. This comes largely due to people with Down Syndrome no longer being institutionalized, laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Act and the American with Disabilities Act, as well as efforts to increase awareness, research and advocacy through programs such as the GLOBAL Down Syndrome Foundation. “[The fashion show] is important because it’s giving people with Down Syndrome, like me, a chance to shine, to be seen” stated Ty. 

While the cultural attitude towards Down Syndrome may have improved over the last few decades, there are still rampant misconceptions around people with Down Syndrome.“I think there is a big misconception that we [are] all the same. We are all different with our own personality, dreams and talents” shared Ty. Julia shared how “…Down Syndrome is a condition, not a disease to be cured”. She continued, stating that “Given the opportunity, they’re just like a lot of us. They’re holding jobs, they go to college, they get married”. 

When Ty graduates, he hopes to attend Syracuse University, where he’ll study math. Or art. Or theater. Whatever Ty chooses he is sure to be, in the words of his favorite singer, “perfect”.