Affection and overcoming: 80-year-old man wins title of 'Longest living with Down syndrome' in the country

Elderly man from São Manuel receives title of “Longest Liver with Down Syndrome” in Brazil Reaching 80 years of age is a milestone for any person and even exceeds the average life expectancy of Brazilians which, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE)), is around 76 years. For Neno and his family, however, this achievement is even more special. And it became a record. João Carlos Melchiori, or Neno, the nickname by which he became known, is a resident of São Manuel (SP) and received the title of “Longest Liver with Down Syndrome” in the country, recognized by RankBrasil - Brazilian Book of Records. In addition to the trophy and certificate he won, his eight decades represent the strength of affection and overcoming. ? Join the g1 Bauru and Marília channel on WhatsApp Born in 1946, Neno's 80th birthday was celebrated on May 30, 2026. The party brought together family and friends, providing the elderly person with something he loves: greeting and hugging people. "He had a lot of anxiety (waiting for the party). When he arrived, he was very happy, he greeted everyone. When it was time to congratulate him, he really enjoyed it, he was euphoric. He loves to hug and greet and that was really nice", says Rosane Melchiori, Neno's niece. Another happy moment in the elderly man's life occurred when he received the trophy and certificate confirming the title of “Longest Liver with Down Syndrome” in Brazil. "He was happy with the trophy, emotional and even cried. We, the family, were also happy for his life and for continuing with us", he states. João Carlos Melchiori was certified as the longest-living person with Down syndrome in the country Personal Archive/Disclosure READ ALSO Team of students from the interior of SP is awarded at the robotics world championship in the USA 16-year-old dancer is the only Brazilian in the Dance World Cup and comes in 18th place in the competition in Ireland 11-year-old student wins a place to represent Brazil in an international mathematics competition: 'Study transforms lives', says mother Brazilian record Contact with RankBrasil was done by the family and the idea came from Neno's medical routine, which always provokes comments about the elderly's longevity. The record was certified by the institution, which considered documents and medical reports to grant the title. Rosane believes that this elderly person's longevity is the result of the affection and care he received since childhood. Currently, Neno lives with his sister, Hermínia, and has the help of a caregiver. “In September, he had an ischemic stroke and we only noticed that he doesn't turn his neck to one side and it became more difficult to understand speech, but he is doing very well”, explains the niece. Neno and his parents, Rosa and João: care and love since childhood Personal Archive/Disclosure Care and protection If, on the one hand, Neno always counted on the family's care, on the other, Rosane admits to identifying the family's overprotection. “Neno never went out alone and this concern protected him, but, in the end, it ended up not allowing him to evolve in some aspects, as today we see people who are totally independent. He has a certain amount of autonomy, but he didn't learn to write or ride the bus alone, for example, only accompanied by someone in the family", he explained. The niece considers, however, that Neno comes from a time when there was little information about Down syndrome. "There was also a lot of prejudice, several families hid people with Down syndrome. This was not the case with him, as he was always with his sisters and lived in society, but the protection ended up making him only develop certain skills at home", he says. But it was the care and affection of the family that allowed Neno to reach 80 years of age with quality of life and even overcome the prejudice of the world. "I have lived with him since I was born and, today, we see the greatness of Neno reaching 80 years of age. And we also saw how much he is loved in the city.” Love and inclusion Love, family support and inclusion in society are, for Rosane, the lessons that remain for those who live with or have a family member with Down syndrome. “Prejudice still exists, people still see things differently, but we need to put an end to that. The extra chromosome he and other people with Down syndrome have is the love chromosome. Society needs to collaborate with this inclusion", concludes Neno's niece. Neno's 80th birthday party gave the elderly man something he loves: greeting and hugging Personal Archive/Disclosure