The “Days of Our Lives” official Instagram account announced last week that an actress with Down syndrome will be making her debut on the show this week.
Kennedy Garcia has been cast in the role of Felicity. Though this is her soap opera debut, she has done extensive modeling, previously working for American Girl, Justice Clothing, and Disney, along with many other companies. According to her IMDB page, she has been recognized as one of the top 10 actors with Down syndrome.
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“It’s a great day to welcome @kennedyjean04 to Salem, plus it’s her birthday today!” the post read. “Wish her Happy Birthday and tune in to meet ‘Felicity’ on-air next week!”
Users were thrilled with the announcement, with one named jennyrozz writing, “As a mother of a special needs teenager I am SO happy Days is adding this character on. She’s so beautiful too!!!!”
According to Metro UK, Garcia’s mother, Renee, was told that she should place her daughter for adoption or put her in an institution when she was born, just because Kennedy had Down syndrome.
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“The 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‘s future really held,” Renee said. “It was only the next night when a kind midwife told me Kennedy was beautiful and just like her daughter, who also had the condition, that I felt a glimmer of hope…She 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.”
In an interview several years ago, Garcia said that she wished more people understood that although she has Down syndrome, she’s not much different than anyone else.
“I love to show the world that people with Down syndrome are just like everyone else. I’m really just a typical teenager,” she said. “My room is a mess and I love to sleep in late and most of the time you’ll find me with my headphones on listening to music or watching TikToks. I think that people are surprised when they find out I do all the same things they do. Get to know someone with Down syndrome, we are pretty cool!”
