{"id":96728,"date":"2024-10-31T15:11:05","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T08:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/?p=96728"},"modified":"2024-10-31T15:11:05","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T08:11:05","slug":"her-parents-were-persistently-advised-to-leave-her-in-the-maternity-hospital-but-she-grew-up-and-became-famous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/her-parents-were-persistently-advised-to-leave-her-in-the-maternity-hospital-but-she-grew-up-and-became-famous\/","title":{"rendered":"Her parents were persistently advised to leave her in the maternity hospital. But she grew up and became famous…"},"content":{"rendered":"

A TEENAGER with Down’s syndrome who doctors wanted to put in an institution is now thriving as a successful model.\n

Kennedy Garcia, 15, from Colorado, was born with the genetic disorder and mum Renee was left distraught when one doctor advised she \u201cjust give her up for adoption\u201d.
\n $\"\"$ \u201cHeartbroken\u201d Renee, 40, was told Kennedy would have no quality of life and would be in nappies until adulthood.\n

However, the dedicated mum refused to give up on her daughter, especially after speaking to a kind midwife who called Kennedy \u201cbeautiful\u201d and explained her own daughter with Down’s syndrome was able to live a comparatively normal life.\n

Fifteen years later, Kennedy has defied any \u201cbleak\u201d predictions and is now thriving as a model for top US brands, and has competed in state-wide dance competitions.\n

And the positive teen has even found love, and has the full support of devoted boyfriend Matthew.\n

\"One — One doctor advised mum Renee that she give Kennedy up for adoption when she was born. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
$\"Fifteen$
Fifteen years later, Kennedy has defied any ‘bleak’ predictions. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
$\"Kennedy\u2019s$
Kennedy\u2019s boyfriend Matthew, 19, is an artist and actor, and also has the genetic disorder. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Renee said: \u201cThe night Kennedy arrived, I was heartbroken to learn she had the condition because I was being fed nothing but a negative, bleak picture painted by doctors and nurses who really had no idea what my child\u2018s future really held.\n
\u201cNow, Kennedy is like most girls her age. She has a posse of friends who adore her, she loves to dance, sing and experiment with her hair and makeup.\n
\u201cShe has brought so much joy and laughter into our lives and has grown into a gorgeous, funny young woman with the world at her feet.\u201d\n
Kennedy may be 15 but she already has an impressive modelling portfolio, having worked with brands like American Girl, Justice Clothing, and Disney.\n
$\"The$
The family discovered part of Kennedy’s spine was separating from the base of her skull – so she had to wear a metal frame for six months. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
$\"Renee$
Renee took Kennedy to her first dance class when her frame was off, and she hasn\u2019t looked back since. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
But it hasn\u2019t been all plain-sailing.\n
As well as having Down’s syndrome, Kennedy also got leukaemia, and family later discovered part of her spine was separating from the base of her skull.\n
During this time, Kennedy spent six months in a metal frame screwed into her skill, in order to keep her neck mobilised, and spent a lot of her time watching dance videos.\n
When the youngster was well enough, Renee took her to her first dance class, and hasn\u2019t looked back since.\n
She now works with KMR Diversity and Dream Talent Management agency and regularly flies to Hollywood and New York for auditions, castings and being extras on TV shows.\n
$\"Renee$
Renee was told Kennedy would have no quality of life and would be in nappies until adulthood – but she has defied all odds. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Kennedy\u2019s boyfriend Matthew, 19, is an artist and actor, and also has the genetic disorder\n
They met a few years ago when she was 12 and he spotted her at an audition for an advert.\n
Matthew immediately came over and gave Kennedy his phone saying he thought it was broken because it was \u201cmissing her number\u201d.\n
Thankfully he\u2019s got the seal of approval from Renee, who described him as \u201cfunny and brave.\u201d\n
Last year, romantic Matthew asked Kennedy to his homecoming dance and if she would be his girlfriend.\n
Now Renee and Matthew\u2019s mum Emmy fly the teens back and forth between California and Colorado so they can see each other once a month – with the two women even becoming firm friends.\n
$\"The$
The dedicated mum refused to give up on her daughter. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Renee said that taking Kennedy to New York for a job last October left her with a sense of awe.\n
Renee, who is also mum to Kassidy, 20, as well as brothers Kameron, 18, and Keegan, 12, said: \u201c\u2018This was the same child doctors told me needed to be put in an institution.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s shocking how misinformed they all were, and it was only 15 years ago. I feel sad that I wasted time grieving for moments like prom dress shopping as I really had been led to believe none of the normal milestones would be reached.\u201d\n
$\"Kennedy$
Kennedy already has an impressive modelling portfolio, having worked with brands like American Girl, Justice Clothing, and Disney. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Speaking to The Mighty, Renee said she feels \u201clike progress is being made\u201d to raise awareness about the condition.\n
She said: \u201cKennedy is pretty much accepted wherever we go.\n
\u201cMost of all they see that she is a pretty typical teen who loves to text her friends, hang out at the mall, make videos on Tik Tok and talk about boys.\n
\u201cI just want her to be happy with wherever her life takes her.\n
\u201cI have no doubt she will continue to grow into an independent, strong, amazing adult whether she is acting, modelling, going to college, public speaking or finds her passion elsewhere in the workplace. I just hope she continues to live her best life no matter what.\u201d\n
Previously, four mums revealed how having a child with Down\u2019s syndrome has brought their lives so much joy.\n
And TV viewers were left in tears as nine-year-old boy who has Down\u2019s Syndrome says his protective twin brother is \u2018the best man alive\u2019.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A TEENAGER with Down’s syndrome who doctors wanted to put in an institution is now thriving as a successful model. Kennedy Garcia, 15, from Colorado, was born with the genetic disorder and mum Renee was left distraught when one doctor advised she \u201cjust give her up for adoption\u201d. \u201cHeartbroken\u201d Renee, 40, was told Kennedy would\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":96740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-96728","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Her-parents-were-persistently-advised-to-leave-her-in-the-maternity-hospital.-But-she-grew-up-and-became-famous.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96728"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96741,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96728\/revisions\/96741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

One doctor advised mum Renee that she give Kennedy up for adoption when she was born. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
$\"Fifteen$
Fifteen years later, Kennedy has defied any ‘bleak’ predictions. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
$\"Kennedy\u2019s$
Kennedy\u2019s boyfriend Matthew, 19, is an artist and actor, and also has the genetic disorder. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Renee said: \u201cThe night Kennedy arrived, I was heartbroken to learn she had the condition because I was being fed nothing but a negative, bleak picture painted by doctors and nurses who really had no idea what my child\u2018s future really held.\n
\u201cNow, Kennedy is like most girls her age. She has a posse of friends who adore her, she loves to dance, sing and experiment with her hair and makeup.\n
\u201cShe has brought so much joy and laughter into our lives and has grown into a gorgeous, funny young woman with the world at her feet.\u201d\n
Kennedy may be 15 but she already has an impressive modelling portfolio, having worked with brands like American Girl, Justice Clothing, and Disney.\n
$\"The$
The family discovered part of Kennedy’s spine was separating from the base of her skull – so she had to wear a metal frame for six months. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
$\"Renee$
Renee took Kennedy to her first dance class when her frame was off, and she hasn\u2019t looked back since. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
But it hasn\u2019t been all plain-sailing.\n
As well as having Down’s syndrome, Kennedy also got leukaemia, and family later discovered part of her spine was separating from the base of her skull.\n
During this time, Kennedy spent six months in a metal frame screwed into her skill, in order to keep her neck mobilised, and spent a lot of her time watching dance videos.\n
When the youngster was well enough, Renee took her to her first dance class, and hasn\u2019t looked back since.\n
She now works with KMR Diversity and Dream Talent Management agency and regularly flies to Hollywood and New York for auditions, castings and being extras on TV shows.\n
$\"Renee$
Renee was told Kennedy would have no quality of life and would be in nappies until adulthood – but she has defied all odds. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Kennedy\u2019s boyfriend Matthew, 19, is an artist and actor, and also has the genetic disorder\n
They met a few years ago when she was 12 and he spotted her at an audition for an advert.\n
Matthew immediately came over and gave Kennedy his phone saying he thought it was broken because it was \u201cmissing her number\u201d.\n
Thankfully he\u2019s got the seal of approval from Renee, who described him as \u201cfunny and brave.\u201d\n
Last year, romantic Matthew asked Kennedy to his homecoming dance and if she would be his girlfriend.\n
Now Renee and Matthew\u2019s mum Emmy fly the teens back and forth between California and Colorado so they can see each other once a month – with the two women even becoming firm friends.\n
$\"The$
The dedicated mum refused to give up on her daughter. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Renee said that taking Kennedy to New York for a job last October left her with a sense of awe.\n
Renee, who is also mum to Kassidy, 20, as well as brothers Kameron, 18, and Keegan, 12, said: \u201c\u2018This was the same child doctors told me needed to be put in an institution.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s shocking how misinformed they all were, and it was only 15 years ago. I feel sad that I wasted time grieving for moments like prom dress shopping as I really had been led to believe none of the normal milestones would be reached.\u201d\n
$\"Kennedy$
Kennedy already has an impressive modelling portfolio, having worked with brands like American Girl, Justice Clothing, and Disney. Credit: kennedyjean04\/Instagram\n
Speaking to The Mighty, Renee said she feels \u201clike progress is being made\u201d to raise awareness about the condition.\n
She said: \u201cKennedy is pretty much accepted wherever we go.\n
\u201cMost of all they see that she is a pretty typical teen who loves to text her friends, hang out at the mall, make videos on Tik Tok and talk about boys.\n
\u201cI just want her to be happy with wherever her life takes her.\n
\u201cI have no doubt she will continue to grow into an independent, strong, amazing adult whether she is acting, modelling, going to college, public speaking or finds her passion elsewhere in the workplace. I just hope she continues to live her best life no matter what.\u201d\n
Previously, four mums revealed how having a child with Down\u2019s syndrome has brought their lives so much joy.\n
And TV viewers were left in tears as nine-year-old boy who has Down\u2019s Syndrome says his protective twin brother is \u2018the best man alive\u2019.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A TEENAGER with Down’s syndrome who doctors wanted to put in an institution is now thriving as a successful model. Kennedy Garcia, 15, from Colorado, was born with the genetic disorder and mum Renee was left distraught when one doctor advised she \u201cjust give her up for adoption\u201d. \u201cHeartbroken\u201d Renee, 40, was told Kennedy would\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":96740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-96728","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Her-parents-were-persistently-advised-to-leave-her-in-the-maternity-hospital.-But-she-grew-up-and-became-famous.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96728"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96741,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96728\/revisions\/96741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}