As mysterious conditions go, Havana Syndrome is a relatively new one and far harder to explain than most. Unlike traditional diseases or afflictions, this one is pretty shrouded in mystery, conspiracy, and a lot of confusion. For instance, Havana Syndrome might not be a thing at all. Or maybe it’s terrorism. Could be a sonic weapon, a biological one, or just something that’s in your head. In other words, it’s potentially very alarming, or nothing to worry about at all. That seems easy, doesn’t it?

Whatever the truth is, reports of Havana Syndrome have been circulating for years and they keep popping up again and again all around the globe. With that in mind, it’s worth looking into what we know about it, what we don’t know about it, and what most people think about it whether or not there’s a lot of evidence to support it.

What Is Havana Syndrome?

In 2017, the US announced that it was removing diplomats from its embassy in Havana after 21 people succumbed to injuries or illnesses of an unknown origin. Symptoms of this strange condition included tinnitus, balance issues, hearing loss, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and cognitive issues. 

Not all the injuries happened simultaneously or in the same place. At the time speculation was that this could have been the result of a sonic weapon or surveillance equipment that had malfunctions somehow.

Later, the symptoms most focused on were extreme headaches and reports of hearing intense and piercing noises in the middle of the night with no easily identified origin. This was why fears of a sonic weapon or malfunctioning surveillance equipment were immediately blamed.

The Origins of Havana Syndrome

While it seems obvious that Cuba would have received the blame for the attack initially, assuming there was an attack at all, not everyone believed that. The US didn’t sanction Cuba in any way and Cuban officials were quick to offer assistance in investigating the incident in Havana.

First reported in August 2017, the story was that US diplomats began experiencing unexplained hearing loss. It was not just one diplomat and not just those who had been there for a while, some were fresh into the country. The problem was so bad that some had to return to the US. At that time, it was concluded that a device producing an inaudible sound had damaged their hearing, though it was ambiguous about whether it was deployed as a weapon.

Later, the story was amended to not really focus on the idea of a sonic device and also to expand symptoms. Not everyone suffered hearing loss, some were nauseated, and some had headaches. Some heard noises, some did not. The symptoms and reports did not lend themselves realistically to the science of any potential sonic weapon. It was also concluded that it was likely not from failed surveillance equipment. 

Symptoms of Havana Syndrome

One of the issues in identifying what causes Havana syndrome is that the symptoms are fairly diverse and don’t lend themselves easily to diagnosis. In some cases, there were detectable symptoms but no evidence of brain injury or biological abnormalities. As we’ll see later, there were cases where there was evidence of some toxins, but these were not present in all cases. 

We covered some of the initial symptoms in the syndrome’s first run above but it didn’t end there. The most commonly reported symptoms of Havana Syndrome are hearing an unusual noise, potentially a buzzing sound. There were also headaches, nausea, dizziness, loss of cognitive abilities, hearing loss, and word recall. Some reported pressure in one ear and vertigo. 

Some of the more unusual symptoms reported have included blood disorders and brain swelling. Even nosebleeds have been reported.

When Canadian officials diagnosed with Havana Syndrome returned to Canada, one of the families brought three dogs home with them. The dogs had reportedly been barking at seemingly nothing and, after returning to Canada, one of the dogs began demonstrating unusual symptoms such as arching his back and biting at thin air. The dog was diagnosed with a seizure condition and was euthanized. None of the dogs had any health conditions previously. That dog’s brain was later part of a study, along with the Canadian diplomats, to determine the source of the symptoms. 

For most of the reported incidents, few known weapons or substances could cause all the symptoms. Over the years since the first incident was recorded, several different explanations have popped up that can account for many of the cases but not all of them. We’ll dive into that in a little bit as well. 

Locations Where Havana Syndrome Has Occurred

After that first case of Havana syndrome in Cuba back in 2016 the condition really branched out. There have been over 1,000 recorded cases of Havana syndrome since that time and they are cropped up pretty much all over the world.

Diplomats in Guangzhou, China reported symptoms in 2017. The reports were fairly similar to those from Havana which led to the evacuation of the diplomats. Others in Shanghai and Beijing were also evacuated. 

Other countries where diplomats fell ill include Austria, Bulgaria, France, Poland, Australia, Switzerland, Colombia, the UK, and more. In one case it was even reported by an official who was in Washington DC walking towards the White House at the time.

The common thread among reported cases of Havana syndrome is diplomats. Because it seems to only affect diplomats, it’s not seen as a naturally occurring phenomenon, and speculation that it’s an attack is an obvious conclusion. While it’s typically only US diplomats who have reported it, there was also the incident with Canadian diplomats in Havana. it’s worth noting, however, that the US diplomats were in Havana at the same time.

Possible Causes

There have been two causes that stand head and shoulders above the others as the most often cited source of the Havana Syndrome symptoms. One, as previously mentioned, is a sonic weapon. The other? Mass hysteria. Like the Monkey Man of Delhi from 2001, when hundreds of people reported being terrorized by a monkey-like man in a motorcycle helmet who attacked in the darkness. Mobs were formed, people were hurt, and some even died. In the end, it was determined the monkey man was never real; the whole thing was mass hysteria. The FBI concluded the same about Havana Syndrome in 2018.

This was not the end of the theories, nor was it the last time Havana syndrome was detected. Sonic weapons were one potential source of the condition that was looked into, but directed energy weapons were another. Sonic weapons could fall under this category, but it is a broader one. This also includes the possibility of microwave weapons, for instance, to account for a broader range of symptoms. 

After some Canadian officials were afflicted with Havana Syndrome symptoms, the Canadian government looked into it as well. The Canadians involved had all received extensive baseline medical testing before they left for Cuba, so doctors were able to compare before and after. They noted damage in sections of the diplomat’s brains susceptible to neurotoxins. They concluded that pesticide use, which had increased in Cuba around diplomat residences at that time during an outbreak of Zika virus, had caused the condition. 

In another link to insects, one that people who have suffered ill effects from Havana Syndrome are not huge fans of, the noises associated with it have been blamed on crickets. Apparently the short-tailed West Indies cricket makes a chirping sound that is so profoundly annoying it actually does cause physical symptoms of discomfort in those exposed to it. The sound the crickets produce also sounds similar to the pulses people reported hearing in Havana. 

A recording of the alleged sound in Havana provided by the Associated Press was analyzed by researchers who concluded that it matched the “duration, pulse repetition rate, power spectrum, pulse rate stability, and oscillations per pulse” of the crickets. Worth noting is that the researchers aren’t claiming that nothing happened to the diplomats in Havana, they’re just calling into question the sound as the source of the damages. Many of the effects reported could not have been caused by crickets alone, but the crickets do explain the noises rather than some sonic weapon.

In another study, a doctor tested every one of the 25 diplomats who complained of dizziness, ear pain, and tinnitus and found every single one of them suffered from an otolithic abnormality, a condition that affects your inner ear and causes issues with balance, dizziness, etc. Does that mean they all had the condition before they arrived in Havana? Or did something there cause it? That was not as clear. 

In 2022 the CIA had investigated 1,000 separate instances of Havana Syndrome. They concluded that this was not the work of a hostile foreign government trying to incapacitate diplomats or others. That does come with a small caveat, however. That conclusion was for the vast majority of cases but not all. Of the 1,000, they felt 976 had other explanations. But the remaining 24 could not rule out Russian or other government use of a weapon. That included the initial cases from the US Embassy in Havana. 

So what caused Havana Syndrome in most cases? According to the CIA, it was a mix of environmental causes, stress, or previously existing medical conditions. As for the others? There is a chance they were an actual attack of some kind. Information linking Russian Military Intelligence to some of the unexplained cases has been discovered that places members of the GRU at the scene of some attacks. 

A pulsed electromagnetic energy burst, something Russia is known to have been experimenting with, has received the most interest in these as yet unexplained cases. Reports have also suggested that senior members of the Russian Intelligence group associated with the attacks have received commendations in Russia for their research into non-lethal acoustic weapons. Russia denies involvement.

Further Research

Even though the CIA feels confident they have explained the vast majority of the cases of Havana syndrome, the remainder is still being looked into. It’s unlikely that the CIA will be giving updates on their research until such time as they determine what it is and also determine that the public needs to know what they discover. Until that time, speculation seems to be pointing strongly towards Russia but there’s no actual evidence that Havana Syndrome was caused by any foreign government, or any particular weapon either known or unknown.

Those afflicted are not all entirely happy to hear that their conditions may be caused by mass hysteria or crickets. Canadian diplomats are suing their government for not taking the condition and the resulting issues seriously or helping diplomats deal with the fallout.  In total, 27 Canadian diplomats and their family members or associated workers were part of the suit.

An American intelligence official who was afflicted in China sued the US government as well. His claim is for disability discrimination.  Others have not sued but have been met with frustration trying to get compensation, benefits, lost wages, and medical treatment for conditions that no one can agree even exist and certainly can’t claim to know the cause of. 

Despite the widespread knowledge of the condition, there are still causes reported. A Department of Defense official reported symptoms after a NATO meeting in 2023. 

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP), also known as factitious disorder, is when a caregiver, usually the child’s mother or a female close to the child, fabricates a child’s illness. In extreme cases, the person causes the child to actually become sick, often with dire and sometimes fatal consequences.

The individual enjoys the attention and sympathy that she receives for having a sick child as well as the praise for being such a devoted mother. In the United States, 2.5 million cases of child abuse are reported annually. It’s estimated that 1,000 of those cases involve MSBP.

The women on this list were all accused of harming or even killing their children, with MSBP to blame. However, MSBP has proven to be an extremely controversial diagnosis, with some psychiatrists arguing that it is overdiagnosed and may not even exist as a syndrome.

10 Sally Clark

The tragic case of Sally Clark began in 1996 when her 11-week-old son, Christopher, suddenly died. On the evening of December 13, Clark, who was home alone with Christopher, put him to bed. When checking on him a few hours later, she found him unconscious. Christopher was pronounced dead at the hospital. The cause of death was believed to be a breathing problem.

About a year later, Clark gave birth to her second son, Harry. She found him unconscious in his bouncy chair when he was eight weeks old. Again, Clark was home alone with her son when it happened. Investigators became suspicious, thinking it was not possible that two babies could have died in the same manner. A month later, Clark was arrested for murdering her two sons.

The prosecution relied heavily on testimony by Sir Roy Meadow, a famed British pediatrician and expert on MSBP. According to Meadow, the deaths fit the criteria of factitious disorder. He testified that the odds of two babies in the same home dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) were 1 in 73 million. The prosecution painted Clark as a lonely drunk who resented her children because she had to give up her high-paying job as a lawyer to stay at home. Clark was convicted in 1999, receiving life in prison.

During her second appeal in January 2003, her conviction was overturned when it became known that Meadow had made a mistake in his calculations and the pathologists had failed to turn over a report showing that Harry had suffered from a bacterial infection, meaning that he had probably died of natural causes.

Clark was unable to recover from the incident. She died on March 16, 2007, from acute alcohol poisoning. Both Meadow and the pathologist were sanctioned by the General Medical Council for serious medical misconduct. Meadow was taken off the medical register, but he was reinstated a year later. The pathologist was banned from Home Office pathology and coroner work for three years.

9 Lisa Hayden-Johnson

Lisa Hayden-Johnson’s son, whose name has not been released due to legal reasons, was born prematurely in 2001. As a result, he needed medical attention, which included a feeding tube. Hayden-Johnson loved the attention and sympathy she received from having a sick child so much that when her son began getting better, she fabricated an elaborate con that he was gravely ill.

Appearing on television, she told everyone that her son had a life-threatening food allergy that left him unable to eat and caused him to have a tube inserted into his stomach. If that wasn’t enough, she also stated that he was confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis. Her lies were so believable that her son actually thought that he was sick. She had the doctors convinced as well, resulting in the young boy having unnecessary operations.

Hayden-Johnson earned national attention with her story. Donations from the public poured in, including money, a new car, and a cruise. Her son received a Children of Courage award and met Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife at the event. The mother and son also met Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall.

The con lasted six years. In 2007, a pediatrician reviewed the boy’s medical file and became suspicious that his health problems had lasted so long without a clear diagnosis. He ordered more specific tests to be conducted. On the day that it was to happen, Hayden-Johnson reported that she had been sexually assaulted. When interviewed by police, her deceptive scheme unraveled. She was arrested and pled guilty to child cruelty and perverting the course of justice. She was sentenced to three years and three months in prison.

8 Kathy Bush

By the time Jennifer Bush was eight years old, she had been hospitalized over 200 times and had undergone more than 40 medical procedures. She had suffered a weakened immune system, digestive issues, and seizures. As a result of her medical issues, her appendix, gallbladder, and some of her small intestine had been removed.

Nurses became suspicious because young Jennifer always seemed to get worse after visits with her mother. One nurse even reported seeing Kathy Bush inject her daughter in the mouth with a syringe. Officials began an investigation of Kathy but were unable to gather enough evidence against her. Kathy was eventually arrested in 1996 after another nurse filed a complaint.

Within days after her mother’s arrest, Jennifer was transferred to another hospital that specialized in feeding disorders. Shockingly, with her mother absent, Jennifer was able to eat, and doctors determined that she could have her feeding tube removed. Jennifer was placed in foster care, where she began to get better.

In 1999, Kathy was convicted of aggravated child abuse. She served three years of a five-year sentence. She was also forbidden from having contact with her daughter.

In 2005, when Jennifer was 18, the ban was lifted at her request, and she was permitted to see her mother again. Jennifer now says that she doesn’t believe that her mother abused her. Jennifer’s family maintains that her health had already started to improve before she was taken from their care.

In a written statement to the Sun Sentinel in early 2015, Jennifer wrote:

The 10 years I spent in foster care were traumatic, and I had some devastating things happen to me. [ . . . ] Today, I can proudly say my family is extremely close knit. We have flourished despite the devastating separation. The bond I had with my brothers, prior to being removed from my family, is something that never changed. My relationship with them helped carry me through my years in foster care. My parents and I have picked up from where we left off, and have a very close and loving relationship.

7 Lacey Spears

In the short five years that he lived, little Garnett Spears was plagued with health issues, spending much of his time in the hospital. He suffered from constant digestive issues, fevers, seizures and ear infections. He also had to have a feeding tube inserted into his stomach.

His mother, 25-year-old former nursing student Lacey Spears, took to social media to chronicle her son’s health issues, voicing her worry and frustration. Thousands of people soon rallied behind this poor young mother with the sick little boy.

In January 2014, Garnett was once again admitted to the hospital where it was determined that he had dangerously high sodium levels. The hospital became suspicious, alerting the police and Child Protective Services (CPS). As her son was lying in his hospital bed in tremendous pain and slowly dying, Spears spent much of her time on Facebook and her blog, posting a play-by-play, relishing the attention she was receiving. On January 22, Garnett was declared brain-dead. His mother took him off life support the following day.

During a search of the family home, police found an open container of sea salt and two feeding bags which later tested positive for sodium. Lacey was arrested and charged with manslaughter and second-degree murder. In April 2015, she received a sentence of 20 years to life, with the judge stating that MSBP had caused Lacey to crave the attention that being the mother of a sick child gave her.

6 Leslie Wilfred

Leslie Wilfred and her husband, Chris, were married in 2007. A year later, the happy couple was expecting twins.

On November 10, Leslie called Chris from the hospital with a bizarre and heartbreaking story. She had given birth four months early, and the twins had been stillborn. She then said that she’d had the twins cremated and wanted to plan the funeral when she left the hospital.

The family was already under investigation by CPS. Nathan, Chris’s son from a previous relationship, had a history of aggression, violence, and making threats against his family. A few weeks prior to the stillbirths, the police were called to the family home when Nathan threatened them with a knife. This incident also warranted a visit by CPS. When CPS found out about the stillbirths, they contacted the police. That’s when the horrible truth was revealed: Leslie had never been pregnant.

An initial police investigation revealed that she’d had her tubes tied after the birth of her last child, years before she had married Chris. She had also ordered two teddy bear urns five days before the supposed stillbirths. Police then seized all medical records and conducted a search of the home.

It was revealed that Leslie had fabricated medical illnesses for two of her four children and had been abusing Nathan. She had told everyone that her 13-year-old son, Charles, needed a liver transplant. Then her nine-year-old daughter, Theresa, was dying of leukemia. The community even set up donation boxes to help out the family. Both stories were lies. However, the most disgusting act was committed against Nathan. He was forced to sleep in a tiny wooden box with plastic bands on his arms to prevent him from moving. As a result, the poor boy suffered from PTSD, which actually caused him to have those violent outbursts.

Leslie was convicted of cruelty to children and theft by deception. She was sentenced to eight years in prison. Once released, she will be on probation for 30 years. Although Chris maintains that he had no idea about his wife’s deception, he was convicted on one count of cruelty to children. He went along with Leslie in allowing Nathan to sleep in a box. Both parents were ordered not to have contact with their children unless it was granted by the court.

5 Angela Cannings

In 2002, Angela Cannings was convicted of murdering her two sons, seven-week-old Jason who passed away in 1991 and 18-week-old Matthew who died in 1999. She was sentenced to life in prison. Angela always maintained her innocence, stating that her sons had died of sudden infant death syndrome, just like her 13-week-old daughter, Gemma, who passed away in 1989.

As in the case of Sally Clark, the prosecution relied on the testimony of Sir Roy Meadow at Angela’s trial. In 1977, Meadow announced his discovery of a new form of child abuse where mothers harmed or killed their children for attention. He named it “Munchausen syndrome by proxy.” He later came up with what he called “Meadow’s Law,” which stated that one cot death is a tragedy, two is suspicious, and three is murder. It was his expert testimony that helped secure Angela’s conviction.

During Angela’s appeal, it was revealed how inaccurate the testimony of Meadow really was. Geneticists testified that it was more likely that an undiscovered genetic disorder had killed Jason and Matthew and that Angela had not smothered them, as Meadow had stated during the trial. It was also revealed that her great-grandmother and grandmother had also had children who died in the same manner. Another expert testified that factors such as smoking, food allergies, and the position in which the baby slept increased the risk for a SIDS death.

After reviewing all the new testimony, the judges stated that Meadow’s testimony was manifestly wrong, grossly misleading, and should come with a health warning attached to it. Angela’s conviction was overturned in 2003 after she had already served 20 months of her sentence. Her story was turned into a BBC movie called Cherished.

As for Meadow, his reputation was destroyed. Several of the women he gave testimony against later had their convictions overturned when it was revealed that he gave inaccurate and misleading information and statistics. Some described him as being on a witch hunt, seeing MSBP in every case that he reviewed. He eventually retired from the medical profession. But the question remains: How many innocent women were convicted based on his testimony or by other doctors who followed his theories?

4 Blanca Montano

In February 2011, Blanca Montano rushed her two children to the hospital as both were exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Testing determined that both children had E. coli. Although her son was treated and released after making a full recovery, her five-month-old daughter began getting worse.

The little girl was transferred to intensive care. For the next two months, she contracted up to nine different bacterial infections. She would develop one, have it treated, get better, and then develop another one. A laparoscopic surgery and bone marrow biopsy were conducted. Doctors were unable to determine a cause for all of these infections. Soon, hospital staff became suspicious, suspecting Montano of having MSBP. A camera was installed in the hospital room, monitoring Montano for several days.

Montano was observed playing with her daughter’s IV line and then covering the camera lens. Hospital officials now believed that they had proof of their suspicions. The police and CPS were contacted, and the child was placed in CPS custody. With Montano unable to visit, the little girl began to get better, eventually making a full recovery.

Montano was arrested and charged with one count of child abuse. The prosecution alleged that the young mother was looking for attention and to win back the affections of the child’s father. During the trial, a nurse testified to having found syringes in the mother’s purse. A social worker told the court that Montano expressed surprise that no one had called CPS earlier. Montano was found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in prison. She maintains her innocence and plans on appealing her conviction.

3 Kelly Savage

Kelly and Buddy Savage had three happy and healthy children. Other than the occasional tummy ache or flu, their kids didn’t have any medical problems. Their fourth child, Austin, wasn’t so lucky. At one week old, he fell ill with pneumonia, requiring him to be put in an incubator. Things only became worse when he returned home. He was not able to keep any food down, causing him to be underweight. He also cried constantly.

Kelly brought her son to the hospital, where doctors determined that the cause of his illness was severe acid reflux. According to the doctors, Austin’s acid reflux was so severe that he would feel the same pain as someone suffering a heart attack. Austin had to undergo surgery and have a feeding tube inserted. He was also put on a special formula. None of it seemed to work. By the time he was nine months old, he weighed the same as a child half his age.

In 2004, Austin was once again admitted to the hospital, only this time his room was outfitted with a video camera. The camera recorded Kelly taking formula out of his feeding bag. Fearing MSBP, the hospital staff notified CPS. Kelly stated that she had noticed an air bubble blocking the feeding tube and thinking it would make Austin sick, she removed some of the formula.

Austin was immediately placed in foster care. However, his medical condition remained the same, even though his mother was no longer allowed to see him. Although most people would have realized at that point that Kelly was not harming her son, she was arrested anyway and charged with child abuse. Her trial only lasted two days. Expert testimony not only disproved the theory of MSBP but proved that little Austin really was suffering from medical issues. In 2005, Kelly was fully exonerated.

2 Marybeth Tinning

As we’ve already seen, there is often a rush to judgment when a mother has a sick baby or the child dies in her care. However, in the case of Marybeth Tinning, it took 14 years and nine dead babies for people to become suspicious.

This tragic tale began in 1971 when Marybeth’s eight-day-old daughter, Jennifer, died of spinal meningitis. Perhaps Marybeth snapped, overcome by grief at the loss of her newborn or perhaps she enjoyed the sympathy that she received at the loss, but Marybeth soon began killing all of her children.

Less than a month after Jennifer’s death, her son Joseph Jr. passed away. Marybeth had brought him to the hospital saying that he’d had a seizure. He was released two days later. Hours after his release, his lifeless body was brought back to the hospital. Marybeth stated that she’d found him dead in his crib. A few weeks after that, her daughter Barbara began convulsing and was rushed to the hospital where she passed away the following day.

The now childless Marybeth decided to have more children. In November 1973, her son Timothy was born. He died less than a month later. It was the same story as Joseph Jr. She had found the boy dead in his crib.

Next came the deaths of Nathan, Mary Frances, Jonathan, and her adopted child, Michael. They all had had seizures or suddenly stopped breathing. Once again, Marybeth was childless.

Her ninth child, Tami Lynn, was born in August 1985. It was only after her death in December that police decided to investigate. Under questioning, she admitted to having smothered Timothy, Nathan, and Tami Lynn.

Due to lack of evidence, Tinning was tried only for the death of Tami Lynn. She was convicted and sentenced to 20 years to life. She was denied parole four times. In early 2015, her most recent parole was also denied.

1 Beverley Allitt

Beverley Allitt was a nurse at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital. Over a two-month period in 1991, four children who were in her care died, and several others became dangerously ill.

The first death was seven-month-old Liam Taylor who was admitted to the hospital with a chest infection. Under Allitt’s care, he went into respiratory distress twice. After the second occurrence, he was left alone with Allitt. It was during this time that he went into cardiac arrest, causing him to be placed on life support. After receiving medical advice that their son would not recover, Liam’s parents had him taken off life support. His cause of death was determined to be respiratory failure.

Two weeks later, 11-year-old Timothy Hardwick also died after being left alone with Allitt. Timothy had cerebral palsy and was admitted to the hospital after suffering an epileptic seizure. Although officials were unable to determine his cause of death, it was suspected that epilepsy was the cause.

Three days after the death of Timothy, Allitt found her next intended victim, one-year-old Kayley Desmond, who was suffering from a chest infection. After a visit from Allitt, the girl went into respiratory distress. She was able to be resuscitated. After she was transferred to another hospital, doctors noticed an odd puncture wound under her armpit. It was not investigated.

More victims followed, either dying or coming close to it. It was only after the April 22 death of 15-month-old Claire Peck that a hospital consultant, Dr. Nelson Porter, became alarmed and decided to launch an investigation. After running tests, he found a high amount of potassium in Clair’s blood. This discovery resulted in her body being exhumed, which led to the drug lignocaine being found in her system. Although the drug is used when a patient goes into cardiac arrest, it’s never given to children.

Allitt was arrested and charged with four counts of murder, 11 counts of attempted murder, and 11 counts of causing grievous bodily harm. During the trial, it was revealed that Allitt had spent most of her younger years faking illness, often wearing casts and bandages in a bid for attention. Experts testified that she suffered from MSBP. She was sentenced to 13 concurrent sentences of life imprisonment with the judge imposing a minimum term of 30 years, meaning that Allitt can be released in 2022.

This case brought MSBP to the forefront, causing the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health to make recommendations that doctors receive guidance on how to handle suspected cases.

It’s no secret that people with Down Syndrome are not always fully embraced by society. Even in the wealthiest, most advanced parts of the world, prejudice of this kind continues to persist, and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. But wherever there is prejudice, there are those who stand up against it, and the following are just 10 examples of people who have torn down barriers and broken glass ceilings for people with Down Syndrome all over the world.

See Also: 10 Epic Tales Of Survival Against All Odds

10 Ángela Bachiller—Politician

Ángela Bachiller kicked off her political career in 2011, when she began working at City Hall in the Spanish city of Valladolid. A member of the People’s Party, Bachiller spent over two years working as an administrative assistant in City Hall, before standing for election in 2011. Although Bachiller did not win a seat in that election, placing 18th for 17 available posts, she assumed office two years later when a corruption scandal forced Jesús García Galván to step down.

While some may attempt to downplay Bachiller’s success by pointing out that she didn’t win the election outright, it should also be noted that she very well may have, if people with Down Syndrome were allowed to vote in Spain. While there is no outright ban on people with intellectual disabilities voting, Spanish courts usually declare people with Down Syndrome as “incapacitated”. Intended to protect them from fraud and exploitation, such a ruling also revokes their right to vote, making it all the more impressive that Bachiller managed to hold a position when she couldn’t even vote for herself.^[1]

9Collette Divitto—Entrepreneur

Even without laws that explicitly forbid them from fully integrating into society, people with Down Syndrome consistently face an uphill battle in trying to do so. Collette Divitto discovered just how true this is when, despite finishing a 3 year cooking course at Clemson University in just two years, job interview after job interview was met with nothing but polite rejection.

Hellbent on entering the workforce, Collette took her most popular recipe, “The Amazing Cookie”, and founded Collettey’s Cookies. Initially working with a single grocery store, Collette gradually built up her client base, raising her profile with media appearances on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, GMA, BBC, and more, ultimately leading to a partnership with Lays Potato Chips. Collette now employs 13 people, and hopes to use her platform to reduce unemployment and poverty levels among people with disabilities.^[2]

8Jamie Brewer—Actor

Probably the most-famous person on this list, Jamie Brewer is an actor that many of you will recognise from her prominent and recurring roles in the American Horror Story series. Having worked in theatre for over a decade, Brewer skyrocketed to international fame when she made her TV debut portraying Adelaide “Addy” Langdon in the pilot of the hit horror show, and has been a regular fixture ever since.

In an interview conducted shortly after season one aired, Brewer said “the most difficult part of playing Adelaide is learning how to portray someone who isn’t always viewed acceptable to her mother and society. This is a new challenge for me”.

Since she started on the show, Brewer has worked on a number of TV shows & films, and is currently slated to play Princess Aurora (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) in a film series that takes old fairytales and gives a more active role to the leading ladies.^[3]

7Marte Wexelsen Goksøyr—Playwright

Born in Norway in 1982, Marte Wexelsen Goksøyr is a public speaker and disability activist, but she is most well-known for her work as a writer—more specifically, a playwright. Her most famous work is her interpretation of Cinderella, which is based on her own life, performed at one of Oslo’s most prestigious theatres, and features live music from the naughties pop band Hellogoodbye.

Goksøyr’s work made her the first woman to win The Bjørnson Prize from the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression, and her version of Cinderella was even used as the basis of a scientific study that examined the differences in attitudes towards disabled actors between adults and children.^[4]

6 Judith Scott—Sculptor

Judith Scott (1943-2005) had exactly the kind of childhood you would expect from someone who became a world renowned artist. Judith’s parents chose not to acknowledge her condition, which was compounded by the fact that she had gone deaf, unbeknownst to anyone in her life. At seven years old, Judith’s twin sister Joyce woke up to find Judith had been taken to a care home, where her undiagnosed deafness meant she failed to qualify for any sort of classes at all.

Forbidden by their mother to visit Judith, Joyce spent much of her life working with children in need until, after a 35 year battle, she became Judith’s guardian and moved her to another institution. For years, Judith took almost no interest in any of the creative activities available there, until the day a guest teacher came in to give a class on fiber art.

Judith immediately took the the art form, taking all sorts of objects and wrapping them in threads and yarn. It was clear that her work went well beyond pure aesthetics, with the director of the institute saying that Judith was “learning to speak”. Much of her work clearly reflects the loneliness & isolation she experienced in childhood, with twins being a major theme as well.

After 10 years, Judith was given her first exhibition which, coupled with a book about her work, caught the attention and acclaim of the international art community. She soon became the subject of 4 documentaries in three languages, and to this day has permanent exhibitions in 12 museums across 6 countries.^[5]

5Madeline Stuart—Supermodel

Madeline Stuart is a professional supermodel who was born in Australia in 1996. After attending a Brisbane fashion show in 2014, Stuart decided she wanted to be a model and began training. The following year, her mother launched an online campaign, which quickly gathered steam, resulting in Stuart signing 2 contracts in one week.

Stuart’s career didn’t stop there, and she quickly racked up quite the collection of accolades, such as walking the catwalk in New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and various other weeks and shows around the world. Stuart has also been profiled in both Vogue & Forbes, and has completed the Special Olympics triathlon three times.^[6]

4Pablo Pineda—DipT BA

Pablo Pineda is an actor and educator most well-known for being the first European with Down Syndrome to obtain a university degree, having completed both a Diploma in Teaching and a BA in Educational Psychology. In 2009, he won the Silver Shell Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival for his role in Yo Tambien, a film about a university graduate with Down Syndrome. Despite the name, the Silver Shell award is actually the top acting prize at the festival, which is one of only 14 category A film festivals in the world. Upon returning to his native Malaga, Pineda was also presented with the Shield of the City by the local Mayor.

Although he still acts, Pineda wants to build a career in education, and is currently working on implementing an international strategy to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Pineda is a regular guest speaker at universities across the world, has written multiple books, and has a TedTalk available to watch online.^[7]

3 Sujeet Desai—Musician

Sujeet Desai is a musician from Buffalo, New York who graduated from high school with a 4.3 GPA before graduating from Berkshire Hills Music Academy two years later. All in all, Desai can play seven instruments: Piano, violin, drums, Bb clarinet, Bass clarinet, trumpet, and saxophone. Two documentaries have been made about his accomplishments, and he has received major media attention throughout the years, featuring on shows such as The View, 20/20, The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as in the Wall Street Journal & New York Times. His greatest accomplishment so far was his 2015 performance at Carnegie Hall, for which he received a standing ovation.

Needless to say, Desai has a Pantheon of awards to his name, including a number of Olympic medals. That, along with his musical ability, may be why he was chosen to give a solo performance at the opening ceremony of the 2009 Winter Special Olympics. He currently lives in New York with his wife Carolyn, and is working towards earning a second performance at Carnegie Hall.^[8]

2 Karen Gaffney—Athlete

In 1977, Jim Gaffney held his 9 month old daughter Karen, and blew air in her face. Once her lips were closed, he placed her briefly underwater, in the hopes that he could gradually improve her breathing and muscle tone. This unusual idea proved to be a bit of a Moana moment for Karen, who has gone on to enjoy an incredibly successful career as a swimmer.

In addition to winning two gold medals in the Special Olympics, Karen was the first person with Down Syndrome to complete the English Channel relay race, but even then her career was just getting started. Since crossing the channel, she has also conquered Boston Harbor, San Francisco bay (16 times and counting), Lake Champlain, Dun Laoghaire Harbor, and the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. In 2007, she was the focus of the Documentary Crossing Tahoe: A Swimmer’s Dream.^[9]

1 Isabella Springmuhl Tejada—Designer

From an early age, Isabella Springmuhl Tejada followed in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was also a designer. As a child, Isabella would create clothes for her dolls, but play eventually turned into work when she enrolled in a fashion course, where she began working on clothes inspired by Guatemalan culture, as well as designs aimed specifically at people with Down Syndrome.

Springmuhl had her first big showcase in 2015, where she sold her complete collection. The success of her show garnered international attention, and a second exhibit was quickly set up in Panama. Her momentum continued to build, and in 2016 her designs were shown at London Fashion Week, which was followed by another exhibit in Rome. All of this landed her a spot in the BBC’s 100 Women list, an annual collection of the most inspirational and influential women in the world, alongside the likes of Alicia Keys, Simone Biles, and Zoleka Mandela.^[10]

About The Author: Simon has entered his final lap of being a 20-something year old, but still loves Irish stereotypes and potatoes.