'World's Longest Down Syndrome Marriage' Ends After 25 Years With Sad News

 'World's Longest Down Syndrome Marriage' Ends After 25 Years With Sad News

Paul Scharoun-DeForge and his wife Kris were both born with Down's syndrome, also known as Down syndrome. According to the British newspaper The Mirror, they had the longest marriage between people with this chromosomal abnormality. Sadly, the husband reportedly died of pneumonia at the age of 56.

If this story moved internet users, it was because this couple with Down syndrome had a happy marriage for almost 25 years, before Paul died. They first met in the 1980s. They fell in love with each other immediately.

Doctors recommended to their parents to place them in a care institute

Paul Scharoun-DeForge and his partner, Kris, have defied all expectations by living a happy union for more than two decades. At their birth, the doctors had recommended to their respective parents to place them in care institutes to be taken care of by professionals but their families had refused. A healthy decision that led to their meeting in 1980, at a dance party organized for people with disabilities.

Paul and Kris are not the only people who could have defied these expectations. Tim Harris, who also has Down's syndrome, has his own restaurant.

They were able to unite after passing several tests

After dating for nearly a decade, the couple got engaged in 1988, after Kris proposed to Paul. They were, however, forced to prove to New York State officials that they were fully aware of the ins and outs of the marriage. They also had to undergo tests measuring their sexual knowledge, needs and feelings. It was only after this step was taken that they were finally allowed to unite legally.

Once married, the two lovebirds lived in an apartment in the heart of a state-funded disability residence. Paul worked in a medical center while Kris found a job at a chain of pizzerias.

Paul showed signs of dementia

The couple's life began to turn upside down when Paul began to suffer from symptoms of dementia, a condition believed to affect more than half of people with Down syndrome aged 50 and over, The Mirror reports. Gradually, the man became more and more withdrawn but he still recognized his wife, unlike the others. "When he saw Kris, he just looked at her, and you knew there was that recognition of the other," said Susan, Kris's sister.

By force of circumstances, Paul had to leave the home to be taken care of by professionals. But Susan made sure to reunite the couple every Sunday for dinner. They were then able to celebrate 25 years of marriage right after Paul recovered from pneumonia. Unfortunately, the disease reappeared after a few months and was life-threatening. Paul died in the hospital, in the presence of his brother. To honor him, Kris decided to go to their favorite vacation spot and spread his ashes there. A touching gesture she planned for their wedding anniversary.

What are the characteristics of Down syndrome?

Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome results in a genetic defect. To be distinguished from a hereditary anomaly, it is diagnosed in the presence of a chromosome 21 additional to the two usual chromosomes 21, explains to the Journal des Femmes Dr. Bernadette Céleste, developmental psychologist and specialist in very young children with Down's syndrome. physical plan, its characteristics include:

* Joint hyperlaxity

* Decreased muscle tone, also called hypotonia

* The shape of the eyes (more slanted)

* The shape of the skull (flattened neck, smaller and round head)

* The shape of the hands (they are small and have a single palmar fold)

Psychomotor acquisitions that are experiencing a delay

Intellectually, people with Down syndrome suffer from moderate intellectual disability, although the consequences may vary from case to case. The individual may also have good adaptive and social skills, but again, these manifestations may differ from case to case.