World's Oldest Woman With Down Syndrome Living In Chickasha

Dollie Grissom is 74 years old and she has Down syndrome. She’s one of nine kids and her siblings spoil her during visits several times a week.

“This is home so we just come to her,” her sister, Marilyn Crossen said.

Home has been the Chickasha Nursing Center since 1969. “I wouldn’t take her out of here for anything,” Crossen added.

And Dollie has done nearly the same thing each day for the last 47 years.

“She wakes up when she gets ready to wake up. We bring her breakfast, usually pancakes. She will sit around and listen to her radio,” explained Social Services Director Shari Brunt.

And around lunchtime Crossen usually shows up with Dollie’s favorite – chicken and a shake from Braum’s. Once that’s all gone, Dollie will spend the day with her dolls.

“She takes care of her babies. She plays with them. She scolds them. They get in trouble sometimes, but she loves her babies,” Brunt said. There were easily three dozen stuffed animals and dolls in her room at the center when we visited.

Brunt said Dollie also likes to drink Cokes and play in the shower. She’s a kid at heart.

But it’s this routine that her family credits with keeping her around much longer than the average person with the condition.

“Life expectancy with someone with Down syndrome is in their 50’s,” Brunt told News 9.

And Brunt has done a lot of digging.

“I did searches on the Internet and I made phone calls,” she said.

She contacted the Guinness Book of World Records and they told her of a woman in the UK, who was also 74, with Down syndrome. But Brunt has learned she has since passed away, meaning Dollie might hold the title.

And with a fading memory and weak vision being her only health battles, her family hopes she'll fight to keep these visits going far into the future.

“I’ll do it for another ten years if she’ll stay,” Crossen said about her sister.

Brunt is waiting for Guinness World Records officials to get back with her about Dollie replacing the other 74 year old in the book.

Dollie’s story has reached people from all over. Brunt said the Nursing Center is getting calls from reporters nationwide.

No one has yet to come forward to contest her spot as the oldest woman with Down syndrome.