It wasn’t long after our son Theodore was born that my husband, Daniel, and I noticed how incredibly happy he was. As in “ ” kind of happy. He barely cried, or made much noise at all, and his general disposition was one of extreme glee day in and day out.
We rarely saw any sort of sour expression on his little face, even when he was hungry, feeling unwell or needing a diaper change. My husband and I thought for sure we’d won the lottery by having the world’s happiest baby. Theo's high-watt smile was so arresting that it would stop strangers in their tracks.
We were thrilled that our child had a magical quality to him, especially one that brought people together in a positive way. Little did we know that his extreme exuberance was an indicator of something much more serious. Shortly after his first birthday, we received the diagnosis that would change our lives forever: Theodore tested positive for a rare neurogenetic disorder called .
AS is a random, equal-opportunity syndrome that affects approximately 1 in 15,000 people, and presents itself primarily as extreme neurologic impairment. AS affects both sexes and all races equally. is also an Angelman parent, and the actor recently started who turns 21 in September.
James "has worked so hard all his life, so hard," . "Repetition, balance, his jerky gait. When he started feeding himself for the first time, his face looks like a Jackson Pollock by the end of it.
But he gets it in, he feeds himself beautifully. I’m pro.