If you were part of the television audience in the nineties, in Argentina, you will know that there was a soap opera titled
Corky, la Fuerza del Affection
(in English,
Life Goes On
) starring a teenager with
Down Syndrome
.
The program told the story of the Thatcher family, but especially that of one of its members: Charles, also known as
Corky
.
This was a young boy with Down Syndrome who was studying in high school and suffered discrimination because of his condition.
It was the first time that a character with this genetic disorder starred in a television fiction.
The great objective of
Corky, the strength of affection
, was to make visible the young man's way of relating and the discrimination suffered for having Down Syndrome.
That's why at the end of each chapter there was a message of improvement.
Originally, the soap opera aired in the United States on ABC between September 12, 1989 and May 23, 1993.
Who played Corky?
The actor who played Corky is the American
Chris Burke
.
His character was the middle child of Drew and Libby and the brother of Paige and Becca.
He studies in high school, does not get along well with mathematics and has special tutoring.
Corky and his family in the soap opera "Corky, the force of affection."
For his performance, the 58-year-old actor
was nominated for the 1990 Golden Globe
in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
Previously, Burke had worked on an ABC film titled
Desperate
and had participated in the film starring Julia Roberts,
The Smile of the Mona Lisa
.
Due to Corky's fame, Burke wrote an autobiography ("A Special Kind of Hero") that turned out to be one of the best-selling books in the United States in 1992.
Chris, as an adult, along with a poster of the series that made him famous.
Photo: Facebook Life Goes On
From a young age, his parents raised him in their New York home, encouraging his acting talents.
Since he was little he wanted to show himself to different audiences and when he grew up he looked for a way to make visible the potential of people with his syndrome.
What is the life of Chris Burke?
Since 1994, Burke has been actively involved with the
Down Syndrome Society of the United States
as a Goodwill Ambassador.
He appears at conventions and public events to talk about his career, interact with those present, and inspire other people with Down Syndrome.
Today she is a spokesperson for the Society in New York, where she helps in different tasks every day.
In these years he also developed his role as a musician by forming a folk band with brothers Joe and John DeMasi.
Burke is 58 years old and is the spokesman for the Down Syndrome Society in New York.
He does not have social media, however his Corky co-star,
Kellie Martin
, often uploads photos of him to her Instagram account.
So does the official Facebook page of Corky, the force of affection.
On World Down Syndrome Day, Martin wrote: “I look forward to celebrating Chris Burke every day, but especially on #worlddownsyndromeday.
There is nothing I cannot do and no one I cannot conquer.”
Five days ago, the Instagram account of the Down Syndrome Society of the United States shared a photo of him to announce that Chris will be present at a gala on March 7.
One of the last published photos of Chris Burke.
Photo: NDSSORG Instagram
There,
the actor will be honored
"for his significant contributions to the Down syndrome community, specifically the role he played in expanding the representation of Down syndrome in film and television."