Joy Ellis was born and raised in Jamaica, West Indies. Her mother, who sold goods in the market, instilled in her the importance of education, encouraging her to stay in school and pursue her dreams. In her late twenties, she migrated to the United States and settled in the Bronx, where she found a job as a nanny, caring for two sweet girls.

Eventually, she decided to change her career and began working for a non-profit organization that provides services to people with developmental disabilities. She enrolled at City College in Manhattan, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, followed by a master’s in public administration from Long Island University.

One day at work, her admiration and love for people with developmental disabilities deepened during an appointment with a parent and her daughter. As she walked toward the family, she was struck by a profound and unforgettable memory: the young girl resembled her cousin from Jamaica, who had been left in a car when they were children. It was astonishing how someone in front of her could look exactly like her cousin from so many years ago. That day, she learned that the young lady she was meeting with had Down syndrome, just like her cousin.