Annika's Story

Images Captured by BROOKA PHOTOGRAPHIC

www.brookaphotographic.com

Tiny Light Annika takes on life with such determination and joy, waking up every morning with a smile and giggles. This two-year-old little girl has faced challenges, but she does not get discouraged.

At six months old, Annika began having seizures, which took away all the skills she had learned, including her vision. She was eventually diagnosed with Dup15q syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder in which a small part of the 15^th chromosome has been duplicated. This means Annika has a number of medical conditions, including epilepsy, hypotonia, intellectual disability and speech difficulty.

Parents Lori and Michael do not see limitations for their daughter, only possibilities. Annika has been seizure-free for more than a year now, plus she can see, loves to crawl and swim. She is always full of laughs when she plays with her dog Lula or plays the guitar with Daddy. But the best is cuddle time!

This Tiny Light is the pride and joy of her mom and dad.   She has brought the family so much love and taught everyone about what really matters. “Annika showed up in this world bearing traits and qualities that people spend a lifetime trying to acquire. She is strong beyond measure, loving in abundance, joyful like she understands, and really understands why we are on Earth.”

Written by Elaine Yong