Mike Sewell; Down’s Syndrome Victim Starred in Commercial

Mike Sewell, 21, a victim of Down’s syndrome who became famous through a McDonald’s commercial profiling his family and work at the fast-food restaurant. Sewell, who worked at a McDonald’s in Cary, N.C., outside Raleigh, was a graduate of the company’s McJobs program, an in-house job coaching program for people with disabilities. In January, McDonald’s aired a national commercial in which Sewell introduced his family and friends and described what his work meant to him. “He was an incredible example for those who knew him and his achievements,” said Claire Babrowski, regional manager with McDonald’s. “Mike was a ‘can do’ person and he worked very hard to show by example that nothing could stand in the way of achieving something you want very much.” In Cary, N.C., on Tuesday of complications of a lung infection.