A Weston Hospicecare volunteer and her daughter have enjoyed a taste of stardom after taking part in a viral video for Down syndrome which earned them national TV coverage.
The carpool video, which has earned an estimated 100 million views from around the world, is part of the Down syndrome awareness campaign Wouldn’t Change A Thing.
Nikki Holt, who volunteers in the hospice’s Devonshire Road shop, joined mums from around the UK with their children as part of the campaign to raise awareness about the genetic disorder.
The heartwarming video featuring Nikki and her daughter Lucinda, who has Down syndrome, has been featured on ITV’s This Morning with Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby among a host of other programs.
Nikki said: “I’m in an online private support group called Designer Genes 13/14 and it is for any parent who has had a child born in either 2013 or 2014 with Down syndrome.
“There are roughly 600 people on there and a post went up one day that just said who would like to be involved in this great idea to get the word out and raise awareness.
“They chose 50 parents randomly and we didn’t realise how big it was going to be.”
English actor and television personality, James Corden who pioneered the carpool karaoke idea, tweeted about the campaign.
This is the most beautiful Carpool Karaoke. It made me cry. #wouldntchangeathing x https://t.co/56CwvSXY87
— James Corden (@JKCorden) March 16, 2018
Holt continued: “Lucinda, my daughter, loves singing in the car and I didn’t actually know what carpool karaoke was so I just saw it as an opportunity for Lucinda to have some fun and sing. So we signed up, they sent us a line to learn and we all sent our clips in.
“The awareness of Down syndrome has come a long way but perceptions haven’t. I still think the old-fashioned views are there such as they don’t achieve much or they are very dependent on their families and I know she is only three and we can’t predict the future but it is not like that anymore.
“With early intervention and things like that, people with Down syndrome achieve amazing things and we have just got to continue to get the message out there and be proud of our children.”
Anyone who would like to see Nikki and Lucinda in action should aim for 02:13.