This 21-Year-Old Is Getting Her Dream Job As France’s First Weather Woman With Down Syndrome

Mélanie peut le faire/Facebook

When a story like this comes along, we’re reminded that there are still good people in the world.

Mélanie Ségard, 21, of France, wanted to be a weather woman. Ségard has Down syndrome, but she didn’t let that stop her from pursuing her goals. On Feb. 27, a video she posted on Facebook changed everything. She wanted people to “like” the video—and hoped locals news stations would see it, too. Ségard encouraged news outlets to put her on the air if she received 100,000 likes. She received those likes, and more. Way more. Now, Ségard will be France’s first weather presenter with Down syndrome.

RELATED: Woman With Down Syndrome Fulfills Dream Of Becoming A Zumba Instructor

“I’m different, but I want to show everyone that I can do a lot of things,” Ségard wrote on her Facebook page. “I want to prove it by presenting on TV.” At time of writing, just over a week later, her video post has gotten 3.1 million views, 148,000 likes, and 57,000 shares. Excuse us while we grab some Kleenex.

On Feb. 28, she replied to some commentators, “I’m touched by your messages and your likes <3 Thank you all! Thanks to you, I hope to reach my dream … I can do it!” <3

And she was right—she could, and she did. Two French news channels, BFMTV and France 2, asked Ségard to be a weather presenter on March 27. Huge news! And with her enthusiasm, we have no doubt Ségard will excel at the job!

The National Union of Charities for Parents with Disabled Children (UNAPEI) helped Ségard with her Facebook campaign. “Today, people with a disability are invisible,” a spokesperson for UNAPEI said in a statement. “The 100,000 likes are a sign of strong support—we are taken aback at how quickly the page became a success.”

RELATEDA 4-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Becomes Star In New Back-To-School Campaign

We certainly expect Ségard to have a lot more success in her future, and we look forward to seeing her present the weather on March 27.

Good News, Life, News, Science & Nature
, ,

Related posts

side by side images of a woman getting ready for the day
Moms reveal their messy homes in viral trend, hoping to normalize reality
La Cité du Vin wine center
There's a wine theme park and museum, and it sounds amazing
young woman taking a selfie with her fingers making a peace sign
University now offers social media degrees for aspiring influencers
Teens sitting in a row look at their smartphones
Study finds that tweens and teens get up to 4,500 phone notifications a day

About the Author
Natalia Lusinski
In addition to Simplemost, Natalia is an ongoing writer for Bustle (sex, dating, relationships, and money), HelloGiggles (pop culture and news), The Delite (feel-good stories), and Don’t Waste Your Money (yep, money issues!). You can also find her writing in the L.A. Times, the Chicago Tribune's RedEye, xoJane, Elite Daily, Scary Mommy, Elephant Journal, and Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, among other publications. She has a Ph.D. in couch-surfing, having spent four years sleeping on over 200 L.A.-area love seats and sectionals, all in an effort to whittle down her student loan debt. She still loves couch-surfing in other cities, too (hint, hint).

From our partners