#bert holbrook

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jdcalamity replied to your photo: Obit of the Day: Oldest Living Man with Down...

Amazing! Bless his heart. My son is now 12 and this gives me hope for him having a long and happy life. He is such a joy.

To learn more.

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Obit of the Day: Oldest Living Man with Down Syndrome

When Bert Holbrook was born the average lifespan for a person with Down syndrome was 40. Holbrook didn't pay attention to the statistics. When he turned 80 in 2008, the Guinness Book of World Records officially named him the "oldest fully authenticated male" with Down syndrome. Holbrook, who had lived in a group home for nearly 30 years, had outlived his parents and his sister. (She died earlier in 2012.)

Bert Holbrook died at the age of 83. The current estimated lifespan for a child born with Down syndrome is 55 years. For more information, contact the National Association for Down Syndrome.

Random note: The oldest women with Down syndrome is Joyce Greenman of London, who turned 87 on March 14, 2012.

(Image of Mr. Holbrook is courtesy of sulekha.com and copyright AP/Mankato Free Press, John Cross, August 20, 2008)