After too many setbacks and rejections to count, 22-year-old Emma Sykes has started a candle business - named Downlights after her syndrome.

Emma Sykes was just a toddler when she learned about perseverance. Her mother took her to enrol at 10 different preschools. They all turned her away.

"We had one particular school who were fine with Emma enrolling until they found out she had Down syndrome," her dad recalls.

"Within five minutes they said 'oh actually, we made a big mistake, we actually don't have any placements available'."

CHRIS SKELTON / STUFF Emma is building up skills in assembling the wicks, preparing the candles for pouring, mixing the fragrance with wax, trimming the wicks and applying the fragrance stickers

As a teenager, Emma lost her mum, Carolyn, to cancer. Father Tony has brought up Emma and her younger sister Nicki, who also has Down syndrome.

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On leaving school, she applied for jobs at many different companies – few even replied.

Now 22, Emma has faced challenges most young women would never imagine in their worst nightmares, but she has never complained.

Her inability to speak is one of the developmental and intellectual delays caused by her Down syndrome.

CHRIS SKELTON / STUFF Emma and her dad Tony Sykes threw caution to the wind after innumerable employers simply failed to reply to Emma's job applications.

"She understands everything you say," Tony Sykes explains, "but her condition makes her responses really slow, if you get one that is, which is rare."

After graduating last year from Sommerville Special School in Panmure, east Auckland, Emma set about trying to secure employment.

Her father relays her story; she nestles into his chest as he speaks proudly of her determination.

"I get it. I understand how difficult it would be for an employer to take someone on," he says. "What I didn't like was they didn't come back to us and say no."

So, this year, she took on a challenge that would daunt many: with her dad's help, she's setting up her own business manufacturing soy-based candles.

Kick-starting a brand new cottage industry from scratch with no experience is something many can only imagine.

The idea for the business, called Downlights, came after a group trip to an Ed Sheeran concert. It wasn't the lights waved in the air, but a conversation with other parents – and the realisation that if others wouldn't employ their kids, they could start their own companies.

Emma started out using candle-making kits, before securing a meeting with Jennifer Del Bel, owner of candle-making company Illumina.

Del Bel describes Emma as "very meticulous with her work and you can see she enjoys it".

"We introduce new tasks each time Emma comes to Mission Bay to help her assemble the wicks, prepare the candles for pouring, mix the fragrance with wax, trim the wicks, and apply the fragrance stickers."

MARLENE SINGH / STUFF Emma Sykes' younger sister will also graduate from Sommerville Special school soon to join her in the candle business.

Emma's business is named Downlights – a nod to Emma's unique genetic makeup.

"Normally the word down is not particularly happy. I know I wanted to have the word down in it," Tony says. "But light is a happy word."

In less than a week, they've sold more than 70 candles. If the enterprise continues to grow, they might be able to employ other people with Down syndrome.

Emma's mum Carolyn took on everything with a positive attitude, Tony says – now he and Emma are doing the same.

"You can walk around feeling sorry for yourself because supposedly bad things have happened to you, but bad things happen to everybody."