Connor is our second of three boys, born in March 2007. His medical needs came as a complete surprise; we had no reason to suspect that he wouldn’t be born healthy. His first year was wrought with challenges; aside from his obvious physical defects, he needed immediate help with breathing and swallowing. It seemed every doctor found more anomalies… his airway, his digestive tract, his palate, his ears, his kidneys, his immune system, his growth and development… Finally, at 11-months-old, we got the diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletion. What a bittersweet day that was! At age 4, Connor has had six surgeries, three additional hospitalizations for illness and countless tests and procedures outpatient. Managing Connor could be a full-time job alone, he is seen by seven specialists regularly, has a special diet, has multiple therapies and attends a special needs preschool. However he’s also bright and happy and works very hard in therapy. Aside from his small size and articulation delay, he looks and acts like a very normal kid! He’s fearless (a daredevil that seems to climb as well as a monkey), loves all sports, and idolizes his older brother. This is a child who will light up a room with his smile and make everyone laugh with his crazy antics. No one can tell us for sure what his future holds, but judging by Connor’s attitude, no doubt it is a very promising one!