Guiness World Record as the oldest living person with Down's Syndrome

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Guiness World Record as the oldest living person with Down's Syndrome
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:09 PM
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- lightsoflove
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WASECA - Bert Holbrook celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday, and might just the Guiness World Record as the oldest living person with Down's Syndrome.

In 1929, one year after the birth of a son to Lillian and Bert Holbrook of Wascea, people with Down's Syndrome lived to an average of 9 years. According to experts, institutions were the norm and medical care was minimal.

But Bert Holbrook Jr. was raised at home. He helped them in his family's meat and grocery store where he "socialized with everyone," said Pat Foley, his nurse at Elm North, an immediate care facility, where he lives today.

For the next 60 years, Bert Holbrook was a familiar face in Waseca. "He knew everyone, and had the run of the town," Foley said. Foley knows him as Bert, but the town knows him as "Junior." Even today people will see him in town, and will say, "Junior, how is it going?"

In his youth, Junior was mildly developmentally disabled, she said, and with aging comes dementia. Now he is considered severly disabled. He has a hearing loss, and doesn't like wearing hearing aids.

At Elm North, he lives with seven female residents. "He is the King," said Foley, who has worked with him for 18 years. Foley remembers Junior from her employement at Lakeshore Nursing Home, where his mother was a resident, and he visited every week. When she passed away he went to live at Elm Homes. His only sister, Marian, lived in Indiana and there was no family in town. "He became part of my family," Foley said. "He is my special buddy." Junior has spent many Thanksgivings and Christmases, with the Foley family, which includes two daughters who also worked at Elm Homes.

In 2004, after his health deteoriorated, Junior became wheelchair bound and moved to Elm North. As an Elm North resident, he attends the Senior Center or Jobs Plus, two days a week, and given the choice, he chooses work over leisure. Foley said, "Once a week, he spends the day with Melissa Stolz, who is his favorite." Stoltz, said that after his grandfather passed away, Junior came to Elm North, and connected with him immediately. On Fridays, the two go out to eat, feed the ducks, or shop together. "He's a trouble maker," said Stoltz with a grin, "but now he is my favorite."

By 2005, the age expectancy of a person with Down's Syndrome had risen to 55 years because of home health care or smaller facilities and better medical treatment. When Foley heard that Peter Davidson, the oldest man living with Down's Syndrome, according to Guiness World Records, died in December 2007 at the age of 68, she began to think that Junior might hold a longevity record.

"Bert's older than that," she thought and began to figure it out. First, she talked with his sister, who is 90 years old, and still living in Indiana, her family and got their consent. Then Foley tried to fax an application to Guiness, but after four days of "continually hitting the send button," she gave up and mailed it. It was forgotten over the winter when Junior was very ill. When he recovered, she continued with her project. "As far as we know, Junior has the record," Foley said.

Last week, Foley received a message from Guiness, asking for more paperwork... a birth certificate, a letter from a Doctor verifying Junior's diagnosis, a cover letter, and a consent by his guardian. She will also send photo and newpaper clippings from his 80th Birthday Party. She thinks that she may have an answer from six to eight weeks. She said, "he will love all the attention it brings, because he is very social."

"He's just a cool guy," said Foley. She is happy for the positive attention Junior's birthday may bring him. "Bert you are a sweetheart, " she teases. He replies, "sometimes."