Orange Socks Stories
Changing Minds and Inspiring Life
Erick: Down syndrome
Immediately following his daughter’s birth, the doctor told them she suspected their baby girl had Down syndrome.
Wendy and Matt: Down syndrome
When Matt was only 3 hours old, Wendy was told he had Down syndrome. When we asked her how she felt receiving that news she told us, “I think I every emotion known, I was going through. I experienced shock, fear, trauma, devastation, anger. I thought, what did I do? Why me? I was afraid that my life had just been ruined’
TRAK
TRAK is a specialized ranch that helps connect people with animals and their community. They are located in Tucson Arizona and have been operating for 15 years. Jill and Scott, the founders of TRAK shared their inspiration for starting TRAK. Gerald also was able to talk to a few employees as well as a few parents of kids who have benefited from TRAK’s unique program.
Erika and Steve: Autism
First signs something was wrong Erika and Steve first noticed something was different with their son Blaise when he was 18 months old. Erika recalled, “He went to daycare and we would go in and notice that all the kids are playing in one area and he's over to an area...
Kristy and Andrew: Pfeiffer Syndrome
utero something was wrong and were candid about their worries and stress. When Hadley was born all of that changed.
Mariah: THAP12 Mutation
for good. She is a fierce advocate by paving the way for future research to help others who may receive the same diagnosis.
Candace: Down Syndrome
Candace comes from a big family; 11 children to be exact. The youngest child was born with Down syndrome. Candace shares her special relationship with Angelita and how she has impacted her family and life for good.
Denise: Autism and Epilepsy
Denise shares how her son, Matt, who is on the autism spectrum inspired her to create two amazing companies that strive to better the lives of people with disabilities.
Katherine: A Guardian For Her Sister With Profound Disabilities
Katherine has a sister she never knew existed until she was 12 years old. A sister, who is profoundly disabled was placed in an institution as a young child. Katherine reconnected with her and has become her guardian.
Christie and Eric: Epilepsy, Autism, Mood Disorder, Developmental Disability.
As soon as the neurologist saw Elie, he knew she had a serious condition and soon after diagnosed Elie with infantile spasms, which is considered a medically catastrophic seizure disorder. “It was heartbreaking,” Eric said. “I remember thinking that I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to expect. It was a whole road that we couldn’t see in front of us.”
Jessica and Jonathan: Growth Hormone Deficiency
Jessica and Johnathan were shocked and relieved to receive a diagnosis for their son Trenton. Jessica struggled for years to find a doctor who would help her. Her journey in advocacy led her to start a nonprofit organization called Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children. A company dedicated to helping parents find resources and become advocates for their children with disabilities.
Maria Update: From a Fatal Diagnosis to Thriving
All Maria wanted was to be able to get the chance to tell Serenity how much she was loved. She said, “I just prayed and I asked God if he could just give me fifteen minutes to love her. To tell her how much I loved her.
Janalen and Rocky: Prader-Willis Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, Adoption, and Down Syndrome
Rocky admits that at first he had worries and concerns about raising a child with special needs, but these concerns quickly dissolved. He tells us “The joy that comes when you sacrifice for other people and other things…It helps you to focus on the things that really matter in this life and to take joy in the simple things that we often take for granted.”
Stacy and Terry: Cri Du Chat syndrome
Stacy said that her daughters have been a blessing from the beginning but that she had to adjust her thinking to a different path than what she had expected. Now they are just “Sydney and Logan. Stacy tells us, “They are actually easier to raise than my other two daughters who are non-delayed.” Despite the challenges they know it is worth it. “Everyone has problems, you just have to adjust…They are worth it. I wouldn’t give up anything. I love coming home…,” said Terry. He loves that his twin daughters still live at home and he gets about 20 hugs a day from them.
Cathy and Brian: Down Syndrome
Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her husband Brian Rodgers found out their son Cole had Down syndrome at his birth. “It was tough. The doctors laid out a lot of things and it was very difficult. The fear of the unknown is what is overwhelming in that moment. Go talk to other people, don’t make an isolated decision. Educate yourself, I remember when we go the news about Cole, that so much of it was focused on the negative. It was focused on what health issues he may have or other challenges. Rather than really being told what the potential was.”
Jessica and Chewy: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Jessica is a single mom and the parent of two boys, Britton and Chewy. Britton was born at 28 weeks gestation weighing only two pounds and 14 ounces. He is 13 years old now and has had many health challenges, including a stroke and brain bleed which has resulted in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Nikki and Sean: OI- Brittle Bones
They told us they thought he had a form of dwarfism based on his femur length. His femurs are shortened and curved, which is a marker for other conditions. At 32 weeks we got the results back that it was Osteogenesis Imperfecta- also known as brittle bones.
Natalie: Rett Syndrome and Facial Differences
“I held her and I cried and the nurse held me and from that moment on I said “I don’t care about anything else other than protecting her and doing whatever it takes to keep her happy and safe and loved.”
Adrianne and Jason: Tetra-Amelia Syndrome
Adrianne and Jason had two biological daughters and an adopted son when they adopted and their daughter Maria from the Philippines. Maria was born missing all 4 limbs, a condition known as Tetra Amelia syndrome. Tetra Amelia syndrome: Exceeding Expectations Adoption...
Jori and Dan: Autosomal Recessive Centronuclear Myopathy
Jori and Dan have a very unique son named Luxton. He is one of three cases in the world that has autosomal recessive centronuclear myopathy type 5. Luxton however is the only one in the world that has two mutated genes. Autosomal Recessive Centronuclear Myopathy...
Laurel and Jaron: 18 P Deletion
Laurel and Jaron didn't receive a diagnosis for their son, Shane, until he was 4 years old. Shane is diagnosed with 18 P Deletion. 18p Deletion He Started Missing Milestones “We assumed he was like any other kid until he started missing some mile markers. We started...