Posted on 07/12/2015 7:59:37 PM PDT by kathsua
1.6k 117 3
In Oklahoma, 74-year-old Dollie Grissom has Down syndrome and is currently the oldest woman alive known to have the condition. Grissom is one of nine children and her family visits her several times a week at Chickasha Nursing Center. Her sister, Marilyn Crossen said, “This is home so we just come to her. I wouldn’t take her out of here for anything.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, the life expectancy of someone with Down’s has increased exponentially since the 1900’s. In 1910, a person born with the condition was expected to live to age ten but now they are expected to live to age 60.
The Social Services Director at Chickasha Nursing Center, Shari Brunt, said Grissom has a daily schedule and has done the same thing for about 47 years. She explained, “She wakes up when she gets ready to wake up. We bring her breakfast, usually pancakes. She will sit around and listen to her radio. And around lunchtime Crossen usually shows up with Dollie’s favorite – chicken and a shake from Braum’s. Once that’s all gone, Dollie will spend the day with her dolls.”
Additionally, Brunt said that Grissom is a kid at heart and sees her dolls as her babies. She said, “She takes care of her babies. She plays with them. She scolds them. They get in trouble sometimes, but she loves her babies.” Oklahoma Nine News reports that Grissom’s family thanks her every day routine for her long life and believes she will be around for years to come. Right now, the Guinness Book of World Records is considering Grissom for the title of oldest woman with Down syndrome.
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Here’s more on Grissom’s routine and remarkable longevity:
There were easily three-dozen stuffed animals and dolls in her room at the center when we visited. Brunt said Dollie also likes to drink Cokes and play in the shower. She’s a kid at heart. But it’s this routine that her family credits with keeping her around much longer than the average person with the condition.
“I did searches on the Internet and I made phone calls,” she said. She contacted the Guinness Book of World Records and they told her of a woman in the UK, who was also 74, with Down syndrome. But Brunt has learned she has since passed away, meaning Dollie might hold the title. And with a fading memory and weak vision being her only health battles, her family hopes she’ll fight to keep these visits going far into the future.
“I’ll do it for another ten years if she’ll stay,” Crossen said about her sister. Brunt is waiting for Guinness World Records officials to get back with her about Dollie replacing the other 74 year old in the book. Dollie’s story has reached people from all over. Brunt said the Nursing Center is getting calls from reporters nationwide. No one has yet to come forward to contest her spot as the oldest woman with Down syndrome.
It is a wonderful story, thanks for posting.
I had an uncle, my dad's youngest brother, who had Downs syndrome.
He passed away a few years ago at age 60.
If not for a congenital heart defect, he may have lived even longer.
My grandfather was the oldest of 6. But there was a 7th. A child with Down’s.
It would be recognized today that my grandfather’s mother was obsessive-compulsive. She had to have things perfect. This was no easy task at the turn of the 20th century without modern conveniences, but she got things as close to perfect as she could and even took in other people’s laundry for extra household income. My grandfather told my mom that she beat his younger brother until his bum bled for messing his pants...he was probably a toddler.
The Down’s child was a girl and his mom’s last. It was kind of a little known/talked about story, but my grandfather told my mom, and she told me about her existence.
My grandfather was the one family and neighbours went to when some horrible job had to be done...drowning kittens, taking his disabled sister on the train to the home, etc. He was about in his early 20s or so when he took her there. It wasn’t something he wanted to do. He was a real softie and tender-hearted and he told my mom it tore him up to do it, but one respected their parents back then and he did care for his mom more than his dad despite her OCD and abuse of at least one sibling at least that one time. He was probably doing it for her...to help her.
I don’t think the child was in the home long. She died there. I got into genealogy in the late 90s/early 2000s and confirmed her existence. Her age of death was 7 years old. Sarah Ann Neatha was her name. They called her Nan.
I find it interesting that one of the reasons for aborting DS babies is because they would have short lives, yet so many women choose to remain childless and have a 14 year old lifespan dog as their child.
Yours is a sad story, and it’s good of you to acknowledge her existence. I think it was common back then to hide children with downs, or who were otherwise physically or mentally incapacitated in some manner. It was a thing of shame back then.
Back in the early 70’s I remember a woman with downs. She was a resident in the nursing home and at the time, she was in her mid 50’s. She was the sweetest person I’ve ever met in my life. Even then, her age was remarkable. Her mother took good care of her until the mother died, which is why Mary ended up in the nursing home.
I don’t even remember the point of the OP, but the other posts caused me to reflect on other downs kids I’ve known over the years, and most particularly, the one mentioned.
People with downs are ‘’Way Kewl’’ :)
That’s so sad.
The 7th child (counting one baby who died at birth) in my mother’s family was born with DS. But she was born in the late 1950’s. After my grandparents passed on, she continued to live with one son’s family. She lived into her early 40’s.
Such sweet, happy people.
A life not worth living, according to the left.
Thanks to both of you for sharing your stories. I was trying to find a quote by Mark Steyn about seeing an older man with Down’s with his mum at some outdoor event. I can’t remember what he said exactly, but he commented that you don’t see people with Down’s much these days because they are weeded out (my word not his) before they are born.
That’s sadly true. I wonder whether anyone else here has had this experience: Even in your mid-30’s, the OB-GYN offers screening for DS. I was told “so that you can terminate” if needed. When I said I wouldn’t do that, they said I didn’t need the screening then.
So, it must be very common. (Remember how the Palin family was treated.)
Thank you for sharing your family’s story, too.
It happened with my little girl. I was 37. My doctor, who I had been with for a long time, insisted that I have it done...it was for his legal protection and I understand that. I got it done, but I wouldn't have aborted her had they found something.
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