At 73, woman with Down Syndrome beats the odds

Courier-Journal.com (USA) - 4 May 2008

Quote :

When Mary Perry was born with Down syndrome in the 1930s, people with the disability typically didn't live past age 9.

Now at 73, the McMinnville, Tenn., woman has managed to outlive all but one of her eight brothers and sisters. She is one of the oldest living people with Down syndrome.

"She beat the odds," said Dr. Karen Summar, a developmental pediatrician at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Medical Center. "It's incredible."

The 2007 Guinness Book of World Records lists the oldest living woman with Down syndrome as Nancy Siddoway of Utah, who was born on Aug. 18, 1937. The oldest living man with Down syndrome is Keith Roberts, who was born in South Africa on June 6, 1953.
Perry was born on June 9, 1934.

read more...

That is cool. I reckon Talitha is going to have a good long life. Her life expectancy, if she didn't have heart surgery was 12 months to 2 years. Now I expect her to live at least as long as any of her siblings.