(Posted March 31, 2021)

Cara, a 28-year-old, Texas native, who lives with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and manages her daily life with hard work, dedication, and a lot of faith. She was diagnosed with 22q when she was 2 years old, right after her dad passed away. She remembers her childhood being tough because she had both speech and hearing problems that limited her. Her speech and hearing problems got better once she got to high school, thanks for hearing aids and speech therapy, and she studied hard to make great grades – As and Bs!

After high school, Cara went on to college where she graduated with an Office Assistant certificate. She currently works at a local grocery store, where she is currently the Assistant Produce Manager.

Cara has a little boy, Oliver, who was diagnosed with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. He is 3 years old and has had three major open-heart surgeries before he was 2 years old. He has many health issues and is just now learning to eat by mouth. Living with 22q and being a 22q parent requires ongoing doctors’ appointments. However, Cara’s advice to others who live with 22q is to not give up on yourself.