Doctors Told His Mother He Wouldn’t Live Past The Age Of 11 — He Turned 62 Last Year

Mar 10, 2021 by apost team

Today, we know that children who are affected by Down syndrome can live long and happy lives with their families, but decades ago, this condition had a heavy stigma associated with it. This would lead to poor care and weak support systems for the children and their families, which in turn affected the overall quality of life for the kids who had the condition. As per Healthline, in the 1960s and earlier, babies born with Down syndrome did not make it past their 10th birthday. Today, however, the average life expectancy of someone with Down syndrome has dramatically shot up to 50 to 60 years. 

When Joey Wittkugle was born in 1958, the doctors had decided that he would not live past 11 years old and told his mother, Barbara Jean Wittkugle, that it would be best if Joey was put away so that she would not have to suffer through having to raise him. However, Barbara did not pay heed to their advice and took her son home to give him the best life possible. This proved to be the best decision — one that the whole community in Struthers, Ohio, seems to support. When Joey turned 62 years old on June 29, 2020, hundreds of people from town came together to give him a celebration of a lifetime. As Joey sat on the porch in his home, the community organized a parade for him. It was a very special day that left Joey's mom in tears of joy as she was amazed by the outpouring of love for her loving son. 

Barbara, who also goes by Bobbi, was told by doctors that Joey wouldn't make it very far in his life when he was born. Speaking to that day, Bobbi recalled to WSPA, "The doctor came in and never asked my name and said to me, ‘You have to put him away. He’ll never talk. He’ll never walk. He’ll never know who you are. He will live to the age of 11 and that will be the end of it.'" However, she also admitted that it was hard for people to accept children who were born with developmental conditions such as Down syndrome in those days.

"Sixty-two years ago, nobody knew about them and they kept them in the house. I mean, you did not have them out walking or one thing or another,” Bobbi said. This might be a difficult thing to hear for many people today, as there have been strides in the right direction to help children with such conditions — as well as their families — over the last few years. For Bobbi, it was her priest who showed her that Joey is not just special but also a gift. 

"Bobbi, you were gifted by God, you were chosen by God to have this child. You can’t turn your back on him. When he leaves you, then you will know the purpose of him coming to you,” said Bobbi as she remembered what the priest told her. This is a beautiful message, and it is clear that she took these words to heart as she lovingly raised her son. 

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For someone as special as Joey, his family wanted to organize a parade for him to celebrate another year of him defying the odds. For Bobbi, who is almost 90, this was one of the best ways to honor her son. She wanted to let people know that children who are born with Down syndrome are no mistake and that their lives are just as special and meaningful as anyone else's. About the parade, Bobbi told reporters, "To let people know that these children, these adults are just as human as you and I. They have feelings like we do. They give extra special love." 

As the day of the parade dawned, we see in the video below that Joey is surrounded by much of his family as the parade passes by their home. People on motorcycles wave and whoop as they pass by Joey, and cars honk multiple times in honor of his birthday. First responders and people in trucks also came by to do their part for Joey. Throughout the video, we see that Joey waves back excitedly, and the smile on his face goes from ear to ear. He even sends out flying kisses to the people who he recognizes at the parade. The mayor of Struthers, Catherine Cercone Miller, also drove by their home in a police cruiser to honor Joey. This outpouring of love was emotional for Bobbi as well, who was moved to tears by the effort the community put into making the day so special for her son.

An emotional Bobbi said that she had never seen anything like this in her life. "I wish people today that if you have this child and your family wants to do something like this, don't say no," Bobbi told WKNB. This parade showed her that she isn't the only one who believes her son is a blessing from God — others see him in the same way! "Honestly, when this young man goes, I will follow him because he is my life," she says.

Bobbi was also taken aback by the sheer number of people who wanted to do this for her son. "I didn't think that people would think that this was important. But now I realize there were people in that parade that — this really meant something to them, really realize that he is human just like you and I," she added. 

All of this just goes to show that Joey is more special than people can imagine, and he has impacted his community in a beautiful way. Bobbi had a message to everyone who would come to read about this incredible day. "I want people to start understanding, when you see one of our children, don’t turn your back at them like they did years ago. They are human, they are special from God and please learn to love them as much as they love you," she told WSPA. We fully agree with what Bobbi said, and we are so happy that Joey had such an incredible celebration. This is a happy birthday, indeed! 

Down syndrome is a condition where a child is born with an extra copy of their 21st chromosome. The other name for this condition is trisomy 21, and it causes developmental delays and disabilities according to Healthline. The disabilities affect the person for their whole life, and may also cause complications that can shorten their life span. However, with recent medical and cultural advances, as well as institutional support, children who are born with this condition go on to live long and happy lives. 

Even though children with Down syndrome may learn slower than other kids, they do generally hit all their milestones depending on the severity of the condition. Schools today offer wonderful services that support children with Down's syndrome as well as their families, such as integrated classrooms and special educational opportunities. 

Some of the most notable people with this condition who have impacted the world in positive ways are Jamie Brewer, who is a well-known actress and model, Isabelle Springmühl, who was the first fashion designer with Down syndrome to appear at the London Fashion Week, Tim Harris, who used to be the successful restaurant owner of Tim's Place and is the only person with Down syndrome to own a restaurant in the United States and Ángela Bachiller, who is the city councilor of Valladolid and the first city councilor with Down syndrome in Spain. All of these people have, like Joey, defied odds and become notable people that continue to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest extent possible.

We are always inspired by stories like this. What about you? Do you know anyone with Down syndrome who has made a positive impact in your life? Tell us about them, and be sure to spread the message of love and acceptance by sharing this beautiful story.