Tyra Young, age 10, is the top seller of Girl Scout cookies for Troop 2295. During her first two years, she sold 3,000 boxes. This year, sheís sold about 800 boxes so far.At the Safeway store on Powers and Constitution in Colorado Springs in February, Tyra talked to shoppers about Girl Scout cookies through her augmented communication device. Kira-Lynn Lee, age 8, was sharing a booth with Tyra, and referred to her partner as ìunique.îTyra is missing part of chromosomes 15 and 22 ñ and doctors say sheís probably the only person in the world missing these two chromosomes, said her mother, Misty Young. Because of her condition, Tyra developed Prader-Willi syndrome and Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome. She experiences feeling a full stomach, weak muscles and slow mental development. She cannot stand for long periods of time or articulate words.Regardless of her challenges, Tyra likes interacting with people and learning the business skills to handle money and hand out cookies, Young said.Tyra is a sixth grader at Skyview Middle School in Falcon School District 49.Her favorite subject is physical education, where sheís learning archery using an adaptive bow.Her mother is grateful that D 49 is moving toward inclusion of special education students. ìShe learns more being with her typical peers,î Young said. ìShe likes to do all the same things. She likes Justin Beiber, boys, horses Ö the other children knows sheís different and accept it. She learns from them and they learn from her.
