CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Cubs may be on the road, but Wrigley Field played host to a group of special men and women on Monday.
"This is our first field trip," said Brian Chicoine, medical director of the Adult Down Syndrome Center at Advocate Medical Group. "The last three years, we've had Cubs players visit us at the clinic. This year, we decided to come to them."
The Adult Down Syndrome Center has been at Advocate Health since 1992 and serves about 6,000 people a year.
"It's a medical facility that provides physical and mental health services for adolescents and adults with Down Syndrome," said Chicoine. "It started two mornings a month, now it's a full-time clinic. There are some unique health care issues that people with Down Syndrome need. We know that health promotion is very important so we offer a variety of services beyond the typical thing you'd get in the doctors' office."
The rain put a damper on outside activities, but the group took part in a Zumba class one the bleachers concourse and played a Wiffle Ball game in the Cubs bullpen.
"He came to visit me last year. I proposed to him," she laughed.
For Lorenzo Frieri, 24, it's Kyle Schwarber.
"I've only been to Wrigley Field one time. I feel great." Frieri said.
In the meantime, a few took some swings inside the Cubs batting cages.
"It means a lot. He loves Wrigley, he loves the Cubs and he's all about having a good time," Larry Nicholson said of his son. " It gets him out of the daily routine. He does have jobs so getting him out to see this, something different, is awesome."
About 1,000 people in the United States is born with Down syndrome every year, making it the most common chromosomal condition for our population. Initially, the life expectancy for adults with Down syndrome was less than 30 years old. Now, with medical and psychological care, adults with Down syndrome are living well into their sixties thanks in part to Advocate Medical Group's Adult Down Syndrome Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.