In 1942, Georgie Wildgust’s doctor told his parents the boy wouldn’t live to see his 10th birthday.

Too bad they’re not alive to see him now.

While it once was common for those with Down Syndrome to die young – as recently as 1980 their average life expectancy was just 25 years of age – Wildgust has defied the odds. The Nottingham, England resident turned 77 years old in September of 2019, making him the oldest living British person with the genetic disorder.

Even today, the average life expectancy of someone with Down Syndrome is just 60 years old, so Wildgust’s long and joyful life is a modern anomaly as well.

It used to be the case that many children with Down Syndrome were institutionalized – that was just the norm. But Wildgust’s parents kept him at home and made the decision to try to give him the most normal childhood possible.

He was also lucky – his family and neighbors all treated him as if he could do anything he set his mind to. And he played like a normal kid instead of growing up believing he was different or incapable.

When asked about the secret to his long life, his niece Nikki Wright told SWNS:

“It’s probably because he had such a lovely childhood.”

The reason people with Down Syndrome tend to live shorter lives is because of conditions that occur along with the genetic abnormality, the most common being heart defects. But with modern medicine, we can better detect these early on and treat them before they’re fatal.

The person who lived the longest with Down Syndrome was a Minnesota man named Bert Holbrook who died at age 83 in 2012.

But Wildquist ‘s niece says his longevity comes down to the way he was raised and then treated as an adult. She said he was never teased for his condition and was encouraged to work when he was older. Wildquist’s jobs over the years ranged from gardening to rugmaking.

Keeping busy with tasks he was well-suited for did for him what it would do for anyone – it gave his life meaning. People who feel like they’re accepted and active members of a community and know they make meaningful contributions to the world commonly have better health and longer lives than those who don’t.

“Nobody picked on him; they all took him under their wing and looked after him,” said his niece. “It was one big happy community who looked out for each other. So he’s always been very sociable.”

After he retired and his mother passed away, Wildquist moved into a group home with 12 other residents in 1993. He even met his current girlfriend – Lorraine – there.

Lorraine has since moved out of the home, but the two maintain a long-distance relationship via Skype.

At 77, Georgie Wildquist is just two years away from besting the life expectancy for British men in general. Currently, it’s 79.2 years.

While Wildgust did have some serious health issues this year – and was even briefly put on end-of-life-care – he bounced right back. Now he spends his days coloring and watching BBC1 – he even loves dancing.

Visited weekly by his niece and her children, Wildgust still maintains a family life as well as an active social life in the group home. This would be a boon to any older person’s health.

“I think being kept busy and socializing here has really helped him. The staff are amazing and it is such a family here,” Wright said.

It helps that the staff love their residents as well.

“Honestly, every single day you come to work he will make you smile,” Kimberley Taylor, a staff member at the care home, told the BBC.

Wildgust’s life is yet more evidence of the benefits of love and affection as well as staying social and active on one’s health.

Be sure to scroll down below to see an interview with Wildgust and his niece.

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Source: TODAY, National Association for Down Syndrome, Nottinghamshire Live, SWNS TV via YouTube, BBC