{"id":342491,"date":"2026-09-10T03:10:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T03:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/342491\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T03:10:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T03:10:17","slug":"york-county-girls-photo-to-appear-in-times-square-as-part-of-a-national-down-syndrome-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/342491\/","title":{"rendered":"York County girl\u2019s photo to appear in Times Square as part of a national Down syndrome celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

York County girl\u2019s photo to appear in Times Square as part of a national Down syndrome celebration<\/p>\n

A York County girl\u2019s photo will appear in Times Square as part of a national Down syndrome celebration.<\/p>\n

\"Morrissey<\/a>MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. \u2014<\/p>\n

A bright smile belonging to a little girl from York County is about to light up the big screen in Times Square to help to represent people with Down syndrome around the country.<\/p>\n

Shyla chosen for Times Square presentation<\/p>\n

Shyla, a sassy 4-year-old from Manchester Township in York County, was chosen to be part of the National Down Syndrome Society\u2019s annual presentation in Times Square. <\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to tell everyone here she is. Yeah, she has Down syndrome. It doesn\u2019t define her, but it definitely makes her who she is,\u201d Shyla’s mom Sharee Gunther said. <\/p>\n

Shyla’s photo was chosen from more than 2,500 entries to be featured with people from around the country as part of the presentation before the annual Buddy Walk. <\/p>\n

\"Image\"Image<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the moment we\u2019re giving them to celebrate and be with people just like them. But then it\u2019s for the passersby who are walking in Times Square, like, what is this huge crowd? Why are all these people with Down syndrome up on this screen? The more that we are doing that and just embracing the beauty of the Down syndrome community, we are seeing so many small changes each year,\u201d said Michelle Sagan of the National Down Syndrome Society.<\/p>\n

Milestone follows years of health challenges<\/p>\n

Seeing her daughter on the big screen marks a milestone for one mother after more than four years of challenges. <\/p>\n

“Shyla has come a long way. She’s had several surgeries, several serious surgeries. We almost lost Shyla a couple of times,” she said. “Just to see how she just keeps plugging along, how strong not just she is, but when you meet children with Down syndrome, you realize you hear their stories. And they all kind of have similar stories with heart conditions and breathing conditions and how they just fight, fight, fight through that. And it makes them who they are,” she said.<\/p>\n

The presentation will be livestreamed on the NDSS Facebook page from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Sept. 12.<\/p>\n

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