A few seconds of fame

Bryce Alderton

The lights of Times Square lit up for a 13-year-old Huntington Beach

girl Sunday night, giving her the marquee spot on one of the world’s most

famous streets.

Courtney Marshall’s picture appeared for a few seconds Sunday night on

the NBC Astrovision jumbotron screen in the middle of Times Square along

with 200 other photographs of people with Down Syndrome.

The video presentation marked the beginning of National Down Syndrome

Awareness Month, and also signals the start of the National Down Syndrome

Society’s awareness campaign, designed to show that people with Down

syndrome can do anything anyone else can.

“It’s good to show the community that [people with Down syndrome] do

every thing you and I do,” said Courtney’s mother Judi Marshall. “There

needs to be more awareness for all forms of disabilities, not just [Down

syndrome].”

Courtney smiled and nodded when asked if she was excited for her

picture to be displayed in New York.

A seventh-grader at Sowers Middle School, Courtney involved in many

activities including her church youth group, a National Junior Basketball

team, and Girl Scouts.

She also enjoys snow skiing, going to the movies, and playing with her

dog, Roxy.

“Her hand-eye coordination is better than most kids,” said her father,

Dan Marshall.

Courtney’s curriculum has been adapted to meet her needs and with the

help of a teaching aide, she has a full course schedule, which includes

social studies, math, physical education and art.

She is especially strong in spelling, boasted her mother.

“She always gets a 100%,” Judi Marshall said. “This week’s word was

‘beautiful.”’

And so was Courtney in the picture that illuminated Times Square on

Sunday, which was selected from more than 1,000 entries. She was pictured

with her friend, Jamie Francis, while the two were at a slumber party.

Her family hopes it will help bring about an increased awareness.Down

syndrome is a genetic condition present at birth that causes a certain

level of mental retardation with hearing and speech difficulties.

However, children learn to walk, talk, play, socialize, make friends,

work and attend school just like their peers without the disease --

although their development is slower. The disease effects more than

350,000 in the United States.