Karen the Celebrity!

This page is about Karen as model, TV star and presenter of flowers to the then Prime Minister's wife. Karen's first modeling assignment was when KIDS, a wonderful organisation mentioned elsewhere on the website was telephoned and asked if they knew of a six year old child with Downs Syndrome living in central London. Karen fitted that description and it turned out that Macmillan was publishing a new encyclopedia of child health and they wanted a picture of a child with Downs Syndrome taking part in normal family activities. The picture that is in the books showed us making jam tarts, but this picture was one of the others that were taken for the book and shows us playing lotto, a favourite game of Karen's. The caption of the photo was very positive about Downs Syndrome as was the rest of the text. Unfortunately, even today, there are still medical books and dictionaries being produced for the public which are far less accurate and up to date than the one in the Macmillan encyclopedia. One I read recently said that people with Downs Syndrome thrive better in the country than the town and work well with animals!

Then when Karen was ten, she and I were rung up by the Downs Syndrome Association as two TV companies were doing features on cosmetic surgery. One was a feature on Sky TV when they came to the house and interviewed me, and the feaure contained a series of interviews; mine, some mothers who had had it done to their children, a cosmetic surgeon and Brian Rix, Chairman of Mencap. The second one was with TV AM. For this one we appeared live on Breakfast TV. We were picked up by limousine and taken to the studio where we sat in a waiting area and met the mother of a boy who had had cosmetic surgery. Then we went into the studio. I and the other mother were both interviewed and although Karen and the other child did not speak the camera kept showing them with big grins on their faces. Karen quickly spotted the monitor and really started playing to the camera! Technology prevents me from being able to show the video on this website but if you want to see a photo of Karen as she appeared on the programme and read my views on cosmetic surgery, click here. After the transmission we went into the studio canteen for a slap up cooked breakfast and then the limo took Karen to school! On another occasion, Karen was one of the faces shown in the titles of a TV programme of charity appeals. It was on every Sunday for about 18 months before they changed the titles and Karens face used to appear for about 10 seconds!

Karen also was one of many children with Downs Syndrome who were invited to pose for a photo on a giant birthday cake celebrating the DSA's birthday. She also was asked by Westminster Mencap to present flowers to Norma Major.( for anyone from America reading this who doesn't know Norma Major, she is the equivalent of Barbara Bush, not as famous as Nancy Reagan or Hillary Clinton, but wife of the prime minister between Thatcher and Blair.

Karens greatest claim to fame however was when she was invited to be part of the relaunch of new images to replace Little Stephen for Mencap, The Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults.Little Stephen, their original trademark or logo was a sad little boy in dungarees, with his head tilted to one side.

The new logos were five images a young child, a teenager, a couple, and two other images of adults of different ages and backgrounds. Karen's and the other's pictures have since appeared on posters, stationery, t-shirts, badges, publications, a promotional video and many other formats.

She also appeared on a poster for the Lords Taverners which was on display at several railway stations.The other modeling assignment she had was on a leaflet publicising family-link which was a local respite care linking families with disabled children

Living in central London and being in contact with various organisations has meant that Karen has had the opportunity to meet many famous people including Roland Rat(at the British Museum) Dave Benson-Philips, mega-star of childrens TV at a Westminster mencap children's party,Henry Kelly at a Westminster mencap Garden party, Leslie Crowther and Judith Chalmers at her school, Jimmy Saville through her college, Diane Louise Jordan at a Mencap conference and Esther Rantzen and some of the Blue Peter presenters at charity fairs to name some of the best-known.

Since moving into her own flat Karen has become famous again. She was featured in an Article on the Downs Syndrome Journal and in their supplement Down2Earth.Then in October 2007 a book came out where she is a co-author of one of the chapters
The book, Learning Disability Today 2nd Edition Fully Revised edited by Steven Carnaby If this link does not work go to and click on learning disabilities and in the same week Karen was in the Guardian newspaperChildren like Grace . Not only that she has appeared in various productions by our local authority- the City of Westminster- a housing video, a housing booklet and a DVD that the Director of Social Services took to a conference. The next logical step would be a TV documentary on her achievements thus far, for which there is plenty of material- 8mm movies of her babyhood and videos of her schooldays , as well as some recent digital footage.

Karen has continued to meet famous people including the cast of East Enders

The most recent famous person Karen has met was Ken Livingstone , who was standing near her flat in April 2010 canvassing for Labour in the election.

She also was a runner up in the Mencap snap exhibition in 2009 with this picture.