Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a “sweet and gentle” man who defied doctors’ expectations.

Mark Goodwin, who had Down’s syndrome, died aged 57 after medics told his parents he would be lucky to make it to 30.

However, the former Riverside School pupil lived a full life in Ashford, embracing dancing and art and bringing joy to his parents, four siblings and friends.

Mark, who lived at St Stephen’s Walk, was eight days old when mum Yiannoulla and dad Paul were told of his condition.

Mrs Goodwin recalled: “They basically said he wouldn't amount to anything – that he would never walk, talk or feed himself.

“They said if you stop feeding him he will just die.

“I didn’t know what she meant by Down’s syndrome. It wasn’t something we knew much about back then.”

Mrs Goodwin said that after a specialist confirmed Mark wasn’t expected to live past 30, they “still wanted to look after him because he was so lovely and sweet”.

“There was a lot of prejudice in those days,” she said.

“My neighbour said: 'You must have sinned badly to have a child like him.'”

His older sister Paula Tozer explained: “Parents told their children not to play with us because they thought Mark’s handicap was contagious.

“But me and my sister were quite protective of Mark, having him in our family gave us a lot of compassion to understand people who have different physical and mental difficulties.

“Mark was quite oblivious to the bullies.

“He was always so loving and gracious, he never carried any resentment.

“He was very sweet, gentle and loving.”

Mark took his role as big brother very seriously when Daniel and Peter were born.

Peter said: “He used to go round the block pushing me in the pram and holding Daniel's hand and he got a lot of respect from the neighbourhood – he showed people he was capable.

“Nobody disliked Mark. I don’t know anyone with anything bad to say about him.

“He just made people feel special.

“He had this presence and his smile and embrace would alleviate any worries people had.”

Mark first attended the now-closed St Stephen’s Special Needs School in Ashford before moving on to the Riverside School, which shut in 1998.

He regularly went to Bright City Church with his family and developed friendships at Karoben Farm and Aartvark, centres which support those with additional needs.

Mark showed signs of dementia in his later years, and started suffering seizures in October last year.

After a third seizure, he stayed in hospital for three months. He sadly died in June.

On Friday, July 7, mourners arrived for Mark’s funeral at Charing Crematorium dressed in vibrant colours.

Others stopped in the streets to say goodbye as the funeral procession passed, Mark taking his final journey in a horse-drawn carriage.