Amelia
Amelia was diagnosed with 22q when her mother, Holly, was 22 weeks pregnant. Amelia’s biological father has the syndrome, so Holly wanted to be tested so she could prepare.
Addison
Childhood with Addison was different, challenging, and exciting. She is my first and only child.
Katie
Growing up, Katie achieved most of her developmental milestones on time. She walked a little later at 14 months but had already had two open heart surgeries by that time. Katie’s speech wasn’t developing as it should, so she had weekly speech therapy until she was four years old and her mother learned sign language to communicate with her.
Maddy
Maddy was born in Cleveland, Ohio and is 25 years old. She was about three months old when her family received the news of her 22q diagnosis. At seven weeks of age, Maddy had open-heart surgery
Maximus
In the eyes of his parents, “Our son Maximus is an absolute miracle, that took many years of hope and faith. Our journey begins with his mother Milagros, which means miracle in Spanish, always determined to make her dreams a reality.
Kahlia
Kahlia (pronounced like the flower Dahlia but with a “K”) was born in Pune, India on September 25, 2008. She became a part of our forever family on May 9, 2010. We were unaware of her 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
Shelby
Shelby is 17 years old, born in Michigan, but moved to Alabama the week of her first birthday. A cardiologist has always been a part of her life, but she was 2 before we received the diagnosis for 22q deletion syndrome.
Roger
I am Roger, a 60-year-old man who was born in 1960 with DiGeorge Syndrome and the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome but did not receive a diagnosis until I was 43 years old!
Cayden Helvey
It was a bright, overcast, Summer day in 2011. Fearless, 33-month-old Cayden David Helvey with 22q11.2 has overcome 5 surgeries. He jumped into the downtown Sanford North Carolina train park fountain with clothes and all.
Bailey Finch
Bailey was born in December 2004 and came home from the hospital as a healthy little girl. At 2 weeks old her doctor heard a heart murmur during a routine office visit and we were sent to a pediatric cardiologist to make sure that nothing serious was going on.