In Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, the nonprofit Comunidad John Langdon Down held the second day of its "Verano Extraordinario 2026" (Extraordinary Summer 2026), a week-long series of workshops for children with Down syndrome in the island’s west region. Activities included a magic show by clown Socotroco and a cooking lesson led by chef Christopher González, known as "CHRISin Límites," who also has trisomy 21 and runs a food truck in Rincón since 2018.
The event, now in its second consecutive year, brings together more than 20 children, including some with autism, microcephaly, other diversities, and typical development, held at the Tercera Iglesia Presbiteriana in Aguadilla. Founder Yanise Hernández started the organization in 2024 after her three-year-old son, Ysaak Hernández Hernández, was pushed by other children at a park for moving at a different pace.
The group initially created safe play spaces for caregivers but expanded after realizing greater needs, including heart-corrective surgeries and therapy services largely centralized in the metropolitan area. Hernández says some children need up to 11 therapies weekly, and there is a shortage of therapists. The organization aims to decentralize services and activities outside the metro region.