Woman With Down Syndrome Surpasses Expectations and Celebrates 72nd Birthday

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For any family, celebrating an elderly loved one’s birthday is a time to cherish a long life lived and wish for health and many more years to come. That celebration was made all the more special for Gerry Hall, a Kentucky woman who has Down syndrome.

When Gerry was born, her parents were told by doctors that she would probably never walk or talk. They advised the family to put her in a home for special-needs children.

However, the Hall family, especially Gerry’s mom, wouldn’t accept that prediction and did everything she could to provide Gerry opportunities to live a meaningful life, despite her condition. Recently, the family celebrated Gerry’s accomplishments, including a lifetime of work, service in the community, and friendships.

When Gerry was born, services for children with developmental disabilities were scant. However, her mother persisted in getting her therapy and special education. As Gerry’s niece Tracy Cecil told the Owensboro Times, “My grandmother did not get a driver’s license until she was in her 60s, but she said she didn’t need to have it,” to make short trips with her daughter.

With the help of a chiropractor, Gerry’s mother taught her how to walk by age 4, something doctors said she would never do. While the school district initially made no provisions for special-needs education, a local organization called the Opportunity Center Workshop offered classes run by parents of kids with special needs.

The Opportunity Center purchased a space in downtown Owensboro and turned it into an Italian restaurant called Pinocchio’s, where Gerry worked her first job. “I also did dishes [and] worked the sprayer,” Gerry explained. Additionally, she helped out at the Opportunity Center with various projects sponsored by local companies, including Sears and Peerless Faucet.

After her parents passed away in 2000, Gerry moved into an assisted-residence home. Living with roommates and supported by facility staff, Gerry has maintained her independence and responsibility for daily tasks while continuing to work at Pinocchio’s until 2018, when she finally retired.

Now in retirement, she still attends the bingo hall acquired by the Opportunity workshop and is very active there. “She loves to take care of things,” niece Tracy Cecil explained. “She likes to get out. My sister and I take her to shop because she loves to shop.”

For her special birthday, Gerry’s nieces Tracey and Leann Morris took her to Tim Tebow’s “Night to Shine,” a prom sponsored by the former football star to honor people with special needs. Wearing a dress bought especially for the occasion, she enjoyed the chance to dance with a friend. “It was packed,” she told the Owensboro Times.

After the special event, Gerry was treated to dinner at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen by her family. “It was my birthday,”she said. “I had soup.”

For her birthday, Gerry also received a very special message from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, which shared a link to her story.

According to data compiled by the Foundation, the average life expectancy for a person with Down syndrome is 60 years old, which is far below the U.S. average of 78 years but up dramatically from the 25 years a person with the condition was expected to live in the 1980s, when the practice of institutionalizing children like Gerry was still common.

In any case, Gerry is no average woman, as she has already shown throughout her long and fulfilling life.