My daughter was diagnosed with 1p36 deletion syndrome just after she turned 2.

Deep down I always knew she was a little different, she didn’t make a sound when she was born and she cried for the first time at 3 months old.

She wouldn’t really interact or look at us directly and at 4 months we got a referral to see an optometrist.

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She surprises us every day. She has an infectious laugh that can light up a room and has a curious soul.

We have her enrolled with Conductive education and this has been so beneficial for her to develop her gross motor skills. She goes swimming once a week which she loves and has just started RDA.

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Rare Disorders NZ is the collective voice of all people living with a rare disorder and their whānau. Our rare collective is made up of more than 150 disorder-specific support groups.

Our work is informed by the issues important to our collective. We work together to improve healthcare and wellbeing for everyone living with a rare health condition in New Zealand.

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