List of people with Down syndrome

American actor and singer Chris Burke British actor Tommy Jessop (right) with his brother William Spanish actor Pablo Pineda, the first European with Down syndrome to complete a university degree British actress Paula Sage receiving her BAFTA award with Brian Cox English disability rights activist Heidi Crowter

This is a list of people with Down syndrome, a condition also known as Down's syndrome or trisomy 21. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21.[1] It is typically associated with developmental delays, characteristic physical features, and mild to moderate intellectual disability.[2] The average IQ of a young adult with Down syndrome is 50, equivalent to the mental age of an 8- or 9-year-old child, but this number varies widely.[3] At the same time, they enjoy a rich social and emotional awareness.[4] Down syndrome is the most common chromosome abnormality in humans,[3] occurring in about one per 1000 babies born each year.[2]

## A–Z

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Names  | Details  | Lifespan  | Country  | Source

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Ángela Bachiller | Spain's first city councillor with Down syndrome  | b. 1983  |  Spain | [5]
Edward Barbanell | Actor who starred in The Ringer | b. 1977  |  United States | [6]
Sam Barnard | Actor and reality star who appeared on The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and The Undateables | b. 1985  |  England | [7]
Jay Beatty | Celtic F.C. fan  | b. 2003  |  Northern Ireland | [8]
Jamie Brewer | Actress who appeared in American Horror Story: Murder House and American Horror Story: Coven | b. 1985  |  United States | [9]
Chris Burke | Actor and folk singer, best known for his role in Life Goes On as character Charles "Corky" Thacher  | b. 1965  |  United States | [10]
Sujeet Desai  | Multi-instrumentalist who has performed in over 13 countries and almost all states, first person with Down syndrome to play in Carnegie Hall.  | b. circa 1983  |  United States | [11]
Collette Divitto | Entrepreneur who started Collettey's Cookies  | b. 1990  |  United States | [12]
Pascal Duquenne | Actor who won the Best Actor Award at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival for his role in The Eighth Day | b. 1970  |  Belgium | [13][14][15]
Heidi Crowter | Disability rights advocate  |  |  England | [16]
Andrea Fay Friedman | Actress who appeared in Life Goes On and the Family Guy episode "Extra Large Medium"  | 1970-2023  |  United States | [17]
Claude of France | Queen consort of the Kingdom of France; diagnosis is speculative.  | 1499-1524  |  France | [18][19][20]
Karen Gaffney | Disability rights campaigner and the first living person with Down syndrome to receive an honorary doctorate degree  | b. 1977  |  United States | [21]
Mar Galcerán | Member of the Corts Valencianes | b. 1978 or 1979  |  Spain | [22]
Anne de Gaulle | Youngest child of Charles and Yvonne de Gaulle | 1928–1948  |  France | [23]
Marin Gerrier | Actor who was nominated for a Genie Award for his role in Café de Flore | Unknown  |  France | [24]
Marte Wexelsen Goksøyr | Actress, playwright, writer and disability rights activist  | b. 1982  |  Norway | [25]
Ellie Goldstein | Model who has appeared on the cover of British Vogue  | b. 2001  |  England | [26][27]
Sarah Gordy | Actress who has appeared in Upstairs Downstairs and Call the Midwife | b. 1976  |  England | [28][29]
Zack Gottsagen | Actor with the leading role in Peanut Butter Falcon and first presenter in the history of the Academy Awards with Down syndrome  | b. 1985  |  United States | [30]
Sandra Jensen | The first person with Down syndrome to receive a heart-lung transplant  | d. 1997  |  United States | [31]
Tommy Jessop | Actor who starred in Coming Down the Mountain and with Blue Apple Theatre | b. 1985  |  England | [32][33]
Jason Kingsley | Actor who appeared in 55 episodes of Sesame Street | b. 1974  |  United States | [34]
Éléonore Laloux [fr] | Disability rights activist, France's first municipal councillor and recipient of the Ordre national du Mérite | b. 1985  |  France | [35]
Moncho Loubriel | supporter, property/hidration manager and mascot of Vaqueros de Bayamón and Puerto Rico men's national basketball team | b. 1970  |  Puerto Rico | [36]
Laz-D | Rapper  | b. 1982  |  United States | [37]
Joey Moss | Edmonton Oilers locker room attendant  | 1963–2020  |  Canada | [38]
Chris Nikic | First person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon | b. 1999  |  United States | [39]
Pablo Pineda | Actor who starred in the film Yo También and first student with Down syndrome in Europe to obtain a degree  | b. 1974  |  Spain | [40]
Lauren Potter | Actress who played Becky Jackson in Glee | b. 1990  |  United States | [41]
Gloria Ramos [es] | Actress who starred in Champions, first intellectually disabled Goya Awards nominee  | b. 1993  |  Spain | [42]
Paula Sage | BAFTA Scotland award-winning actress who appeared in AfterLife | b. c. 1980  |  Scotland | [43][44]
Sofia Sanchez  | Actress, appeared in 2023 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes | b. c. 2009  |  Ukraine | United States | [45]
Robbie Savage | Football fan and socialite. Official mascot of the Brave Warriors, Namibia's national football team  | 1967–2017  |  Namibia | [46]
Judith Scott | Outsider sculptor and fiber artist  | 1943–2005  |  United States | [47]
Sanna Sepponen | Actress known for her role in Salatut elämät | b. 1977  |  Finland | [48]
Frank Stephens | Disability advocate who testified before US Congress in 2017 to explain that he regarded the abortion of fetuses with Down syndrome as immoral.  | b. 1982  |  United States | [49]
Grace Strobel | Model, Brand Representative

First professional model with Down syndrome to represent an international skincare line.

| b. 1996  | United States  | [50]
Madeline Stuart | Model who walked at New York Fashion Week, hailed as the first professional model with Down syndrome  | b. 1996  |  Australia | [51]
Madison Tevlin | Actress, talk show host  | Unknown  |  Canada | [52]
Isabella Springmuhl Tejada | First fashion designer with Down syndrome to be featured in London Fashion Week | b. 1997  |  Guatemala | [11]
Tim, the "Oldenburg Baby"  | An infant who was born after an unsuccessful abortion attempt and subsequently fostered  | 1997–2019  |  Germany | [53]
Ali Topaloğlu | World and European champion track and field athlete  | b. 1998  |  Turkey | [54]
Luke Zimmerman | Actor who starred in The Secret Life of the American Teenager | b. 1979  |  United States | [41]

## Fictional

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* C.J. Casagrande, 13-year-old boy in cartoon series The Casagrandes.

## References

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1. ^ Patterson, D (Jul 2009). "Molecular genetic analysis of Down syndrome". Human Genetics. 126 (1): 195–214. doi:10.1007/s00439-009-0696-8. PMID 19526251. S2CID 10403507.
2. ^ a b Weijerman, ME; de Winter, JP (Dec 2010). "Clinical practice. The care of children with Down syndrome". European Journal of Pediatrics. 169 (12): 1445–52. doi:10.1007/s00431-010-1253-0. PMC 2962780. PMID 20632187.
3. ^ a b Malt, EA; Dahl, RC; Haugsand, TM; Ulvestad, IH; Emilsen, NM; Hansen, B; Cardenas, YE; Skøld, RO; Thorsen, AT; Davidsen, EM (Feb 5, 2013). "Health and disease in adults with Down syndrome". Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening. 133 (3): 290–4. doi:10.4045/tidsskr.12.0390. PMID 23381164.
4. ^ L. Hippolyte, K. Iglesias, M. Van der Linden & K. Barisnikov (August 2010). "Social reasoning skills in adults with Down syndrome: the role of language, executive functions and socio-emotional behaviour". Journal of Intellectual Disability Research (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01299.x): 1.
5. ^ Tobella Mayans, Alba (2013-08-08). "Valladolid appoints Spain's first Down Syndrome councillor". El País. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
6. ^ Bauer, Patricia E. (2005-12-11). "What's So Funny About Disability? Well ..." The New York Times.
7. ^ Moreton, Cole (15 April 2012). "How people with disability are portrayed on a television series about dating: 'I'll risk ridicule on TV to find love'" - via www.telegraph.co.uk.
8. ^ Taylor, David (20 February 2015). "Celtic superfan Jay Beatty's song is Facebook hit".
9. ^ "Jamie Brewer". IMDb.
10. ^ "Life Goes On". TV.com. CBS Interactive.
11. ^ a b Ettinger, Zoë. "13 people with Down syndrome who are breaking barriers in entertainment, athletics, fashion, and more". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
12. ^ "When this entrepreneur with Down syndrome couldn't find work at a bakery, she started her own". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
13. ^ Stefaan Sercu (20 November 2002). "Mentaal gehandicapten komen thuis". Het Volk (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
14. ^ "'Secrets and Lies' takes top honor at Cannes Film Festival". CNN. May 20, 1996.
15. ^ "On Screen: Guilt And The Survivor". Eye Weekly. March 13, 1997. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011.
16. ^ "Down's syndrome campaigner Heidi Crowter on marriage and loving life". BBC News. 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
17. ^ DSIAM—Down Syndrome in Arts & Media website. Retrieved 02-18-10.
18. ^ Chaisneau, Marie (2018-05-29). "Quel est le vécu des femmes à qui l'on a proposé le dépistage combiné de la trisomie 21 pendant la grossesse ?". Université de médecine de Montpellier (in French): 4.
19. ^ Trisomie et handicaps génétiques associés, Elsevier-Masson, Abrégés, 5e éd, 2007, Monique Cuilleret, p. 5 https://archive.org/details/trisomie-et-handicaps-genetiques-associes
20. ^ Delattre, Valérie; Sallem, Ryadh (2010-02-01). "Décrypter la différence". Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives (in French). CQFD: 200.
21. ^ "Dr. Karen Gaffney: First living person with Down syndrome to receive honorary doctorate". YouTube. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
22. ^ Kassam, Ashifa (9 January 2024). "Mar Galcerán makes history as Spain's first parliamentarian with Down's syndrome". Retrieved 10 January 2024.
23. ^ Nixon, Richard (1990). In The Arena: A Memoir of Victory, Defeat, and Renewal. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-671-70096-6.
24. ^ "St. Albert Gazette". St. Albert Gazette. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
25. ^ Joswig, Rebekka (9 June 2012). "Marte Wexelsen Goksøyr får Stolthetsprisen Archived 2014-03-07 at the Wayback Machine". Vårt Land. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
26. ^ "UK/Mainboard/She/Ellie G". 10 October 2023.
27. ^ Lottie Jackson (21 September 2023). "From The Archive: How Model Ellie Goldstein Conquered The Fashion Industry".
28. ^ James Wallin (21 February 2012). "Upstairs Downstairs actress's new-found fame". The Argus.
29. ^ Anna Roberts (20 February 2014). "Call the Midwife role written especially for Lewes actress Sarah Gordy". The Argus.
30. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (2020-02-09). "'The Peanut Butter Falcon' Star Zack Gottsagen Takes Stage as First Oscar Presenter With Down Syndrome". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
31. ^ "Disabled woman who fought for transplant dies - SF Gate". 1997-05-25. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
32. ^ Osborn, Michael (2007-08-31). "Haddon Debut Captures Teen Crisis". BBC. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
33. ^ "Down's actor tackles Hamlet". This is Cornwall. 2012-05-03. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
34. ^ Wetzler, Cynthia Magriel (August 24, 1997). "Meeting the Challenge of Down Syndrome". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
35. ^ Bulant, Jeanne. ""Je suis très fière": Éléonore Laloux, première conseillère municipale porteuse de Trisomie 21, décorée de l'ordre du Mérite". BFMTV (in French). Retrieved 2024-07-09.
36. ^ >"a temporada 2022 será dedicada a Moncho y Josean, íconos de lo que "Es el BSN"". vaquerosahi.com (in Spanish). Retrieved September 24, 2024.
37. ^ "Lake Oswego rapper -- Laz D -- truly keeps it real". OregonLive.com. 14 February 2010.
38. ^ Lomon, Chris (2003-02-28). "NHL Alumni RBC All-Star Awards Dinner". NHL Alumni. Archived from the original on 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
39. ^ "Nikic becomes first person with Down's syndrome to finish Ironman". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
40. ^ "Yo También on the Internet Movie Database". IMDb. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
41. ^ a b Hollie McKay (2015-03-26). "Actors with Down syndrome in more films, TV; 'Glee' star Lauren Potter says 'we're just like anybody else'". Fox News.
42. ^ "Así es Gloria Ramos, la joven nominada a un Goya como mejor actriz revelación". Pronto. 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
43. ^ "Special Olympic Athlete Stars in Movie". Archived from the original on December 22, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
44. ^ "Bratislava International Film festival 2004". IMDb. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
45. ^ "IMDB entry - Sofia Sanchez".
46. ^ Hamata, Isack (26 July 2017). "Robbie de-stigmatised Down Syndrome". The Namibian.
47. ^ "Judith Scott: Finding a Voice". Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
48. ^ "Salkkarit-Sanna kahmi mitaleja suurpujottelussa: Värisuora lähellä". mtv.fi. 5 February 2013.
49. ^ "Frank Stephens" (PDF).
50. ^ "Obagi Announces Partnership with Down Syndrome Advocate, Grace Strobel, as new SKINCLUSION Ambassador and Face of New Obagi Clinical Cleanser" (Press release). Obagi. 1 October 2020.
51. ^ "Down's Syndrome model Madeline Stuart sparks an emotional reaction with a new bridal shoot". Daily Telegraph. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
52. ^ Jenna Benchetrit, "'I'm proving everyone wrong': Actors with Down syndrome enjoying new era of media representation". CBC News, February 19, 2022.
53. ^ "Oldenburg Baby - Youth Defence".
54. ^ "Turkey wins 28 medals in Down syndrome championships: Note". Hürriyet Daily News. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.