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20-Year-Old With Trisomy 18 Is Mom’s ‘Perfect Boy’

Tampa Bay Times

Karen Heaton didn’t expect her son to live past his first birthday -- yet Donnie is now one of the oldest males living with Trisomy 18. As the Tampa Bay Times reports, Donnie can’t walk, talk or feed himself. But his mom, who gave birth at age 42 and rarely spends any time away from him, worries what could happen to her son if he outlives her. 

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.