It doesn’t take long for Ray to make you smile. He has a fantastic sense of humour and an infectious laugh, and is always at the ready with any one of his 10 impressions – which include Freddie Kruger, Elvis Presley and a hot dog.
He’s also a talented musician and artist, and is well known on the streets of Dargaville for his busking and Elvis impersonations. He dreams of getting a record contract and becoming a famous rock star, and he makes impressive models of his favourite characters from wood and clay in his spare time when he’s not playing music, or working at his day job as a wood stacker. But Ray is missing one vital aspect in his life – someone to love.
“I really like girls, and I want to find a girlfriend who likes Elvis, Johnny Cash and Billy Joel, and horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and action films like Terminator,” says Ray, whose nickname is “Ray Elvis” because of his love of the musical icon.
“I’d like to play my guitar to her and serenade her, and if I get famous for my music, I’d like to take her on tour with me.”
Ray wants his first kiss to be special.
Ray, 30, along with his care worker and good friend PK, 58, is one of the stars of the TVNZ 2 show Down for Love, in which Kiwis with Down syndrome put themselves on the line in search of a partner they can share their lives with. Ray has mosaic Down syndrome, a rare form of the genetic disorder that occurs in about two percent of all Down syndrome cases, and his biggest sadness is that he hasn’t yet kissed a girl.
Having a girlfriend is a topic of conversation that comes up regularly when Ray and PK meet, which occurs every Tuesday and Thursday. The duo play their guitars together, hang out and talk about “anything and everything,” according to refuse collector and part-time carer PK.
“I first met Ray about six years ago when I was driving my rubbish truck,” he recalls. “When I drove past, Ray would jump on the truck and we got chatting. Things just went from there. He’s such a talented musician. He’s always got his guitar with him and he loves music. He just seems to know how to play. He did have a bit of tutoring at school, but mostly he’s self-taught.”
Although PK doesn’t have any formal qualifications as a support worker, he and Ray have a special bond that transcends their professional relationship. They have plenty in common, and the pair laugh and joke around as they chat to the Weekly about everything from finding Ray a girlfriend, to memories of going to a Billy Joel concert last December at Eden Park. “That was so cool,” says PK. “I like Billy Joel and Ray had such a good time.”
“All the girls were dancing around me and I was screaming out, ‘I love that song!'” laughs Ray, who proudly announces that he can play most of the star’s songs on his guitar.
The concert is just one of many moments the pair have enjoyed together. “Ray’s condition really doesn’t bother me,” says PK. “I just took it on board as part of who he is. When I was first approached to help support Ray, I was offered the opportunity to get some qualifications to do this with other people, but I took the job on with Ray as a mate. I’m here to hang out with him and to make sure he behaves, because he has his moments!”
PK is clearly very fond of Ray and is obviously proud of his friend’s musical prowess. “He’s world famous in Dargaville!” he laughs. “He does well out of it too. The other day, he made $85 in two hours, busking outside the local bakery. That’s more than $40 an hour!”
Adds Ray, “PK is really cool. I really enjoy hanging out with him and I think his jokes are funny. When we meet up, we often have jam sessions together on our guitars and he likes the models I make.”
While Ray has an idea of what his ideal girl might look like, he’s just got one request.
“My ideal girl has brown hair, brown eyes, a button nose and a nice smile,” he muses. “But it would be great if she likes music and wants to play songs with me – that would be really cool. But most importantly, she needs to really like me!”
And if Ray does find love, PK will, as always, have his friend’s back. “Ray is a really awesome guy and we have a great friendship,” he says fondly. “He is so confident, has a huge heart and is a lot of fun to hang out with.
“I’m here for him as his buddy and I really hope he finds someone to love. But whatever happens, he knows I have his back and I’m always here for him. I’ll look after him, no matter what.”
Watch Down for Love, Thursdays, 8.30pm on TVNZ 2.
