Julie Newmar had everything fame could offer: she was television’s first Catwoman, an icon of the 60s. But when her son John was born with Down syndrome in 1981, no studio light mattered to her as much as his.
At age 3, meningitis took John’s hearing. The doctors were clear: it would be better for both of them if he grew up in a specialized institution. Julie listened, and said no.
Instead, she learned sign language. She reorganized her entire life around her son’s. For more than 40 years, she has been his caregiver, his translator, his home. Today, at 92, she remains by his side. “He is the light of my life”, she said. “Never, not for a second, did I regret raising him with me.”