Once Upon A Gene

Latest Episodes:

ONCE UPON A GENE- EPISODE #281: Making Memories: A Mom of a Daughter with Friedreich’s Ataxia on Last Steps, Make-A-Wish, and Not Letting the Future Steal the Day w/ Laurel Frost Coffey Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Laurel on Amelia, Friedrich’s Ataxia, and Choosing Joy in the Face of ProgressionLaurel shares her family’s experience raising Amelia, who was diagnosed with Friedrich’s ataxia at age 8 after early signs showed up around age 5. This conversation covers the path to diagnosis, the emotional reality of progressive illness, and how Laurel stays present with Amelia while making memories now.We discuss Laurel’s perspective as a mom, the impact on Amelia’s brothers, the role of community, and the hope she sees in current research and clinical trials. Effie Parks and Laurel also talk openly about grief, joy, sibling dynamics, and what it means to keep moving forward when the future feels uncertain.Key topics

In this episode, Laurel introduces Amelia as a creative, funny, and spirited 10-year-old who lives with Friedrich’s ataxia and still brings a lot of joy into the family.
Laurel walks through the early signs that something was wrong, from leg pain and exhaustion on a family trip to France to frequent falls, clumsiness, and coordination issues at school.
She describes the diagnosis process: physical therapy noticing neurological symptoms like nystagmus, head tilt, scoliosis, and difficulty standing with eyes closed, followed by an ER visit and later genetic confirmation.
We discuss the genetic side of Friedrich’s ataxia, including FXN gene mutations, GAA repeat expansions, and why early-onset cases like Amelia’s tend to progress much faster.
Laurel shares the emotional weight of learning that both parents are carriers and that Amelia’s diagnosis is life shortening, which brought a deep grieving process for the future they expected.
The conversation explores grief in waves and how Laurel experiences it in “installments” as Amelia loses abilities, while still trying not to get stuck in future fear.
Laurel talks about staying present by focusing on Amelia herself, saying that time with her is the best therapy and the biggest source of joy.
Effie and Laurel compare notes on parenting through disability, including the pain of seeing other kids move freely and the challenge of not letting comparison take over.
They dig into one especially hard moment involving a denied disability pass for a Disney trip, which became a reminder that small logistical battles can hit harder than they seem.
Laurel describes how she tries to make memories now, including a hand and footprint art project for Amelia’s “last steps,” and why she’s pushing to travel while Amelia can still navigate more easily.
The episode highlights sibling dynamics, including the so-called glass child experience, how her two boys respond differently, and how Laurel tries not to turn them into caregivers.
They close on hope, including community support, rare disease connection, a clinical trial Amelia is participating in, and the broader progress in research for FA.

Stay present, not predictive
Grief and joy can coexist
Memory-making as resistance
Community as therapy

If you’re parenting through a rare or progressive diagnosis, look for community connection rather than carrying it alone.
Make room for joy now, even if it feels awkward or premature.
Capture moments while your child can still participate, whether that means travel, art, or simple family rituals.
Be honest about sibling dynamics and protect children from unnecessary caregiving pressure.

Timestamps00:00 - Warm welcome and catching up after Rare Disease Day Cruise
02:07 - Amelia’s upcoming Make-A-Wish trip to Santorini
03:20 - Who Amelia is and what Laurel wants listeners to know
04:03 - First signs something was wrong during a family trip to France
05:30 - School concerns, PT referral, and neurological symptoms
06:29 - ER visit and the first time they heard hereditary ataxias
07:48 - Genetic confirmation of Friedrich’s ataxia
08:16 - Processing a life shortening diagnosis
09:48 - Why children can be diagnosed with FA while many people meet adults with it first
10:06 - FXN gene, GAA repeats, and why early onset is more severe
11:27 - Grieving as the parent who knew Amelia before the diagnosis
13:00 - Grief in waves and “installment plan” losses
14:03 - Amelia’s personality and why the diagnosis has not fully hit her yet
15:02 - Watching other kids move and feeling the contrast
16:17 - Redirecting away from future fear
17:20 - Staying present with Amelia as the best way to find joy
18:18 - Signs of slipping into a harder grief day
19:08 - The Disney disability pass denial and why it hit so hard
21:39 - Making memories now while Amelia can still do more
23:06 - Amelia’s “last steps” art project and the emotion around it
25:08 - Where the artwork lives and sharing it with family
26:08 - Amelia’s creativity and the impact on her brothers
26:41 - The boys learning about FA and the family’s different sibling dynamics
27:30 - Balancing fairness, safety, and caregiving boundaries
31:13 - Why Laurel avoids making the younger son a caregiver
33:16 - What joy FA has unexpectedly brought into Laurel’s life
34:10 - Finding family, belonging, and empowerment in the FA community
36:18 - Community as therapy and the value of diagnosis
37:31 - Different ways people may connect with rare disease communities
38:20 - Rare at Sea and the leaders who helped shape the community
38:49 - Fear of regret and Laurel’s desire to use time well
40:02 - Wanting Amelia’s story to be about love and adventure, not just diagnosis
41:04 - Hope in approved treatment, clinical trials, and gene therapy research
42:21 - Gratitude for community leaders and shared support
43:01 - Closing thoughts, brain fog, and wrapping upKey frameworksNotable quotesCopy“I have to be conscious, constantly conscious about staying present with her.”Copy“My love is greater than the fear that I have.”Copy“I want her to just think about a life that was experienced with love and adventure.”Action items

ONCE UPON A GENE- EPISODE #280: Comparing Our Kids: Guilt, Milestones, and Connection in Rare Disease Parenting Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever celebrated another child’s milestone while quietly wondering why your own child hasn’t reached it? Or caught yourself thinking, “Their kid can walk, talk, and eat - why do they think this is so hard?”

We don’t love admitting it. But maybe we could talk about it.

In this Effisode, I’m brainstorming about comparison in parenting our kids with disabilities, including my own moments of seeing other children with CTNNB1 syndrome reach milestones and wondering whether I missed something with Ford. I know how much I’ve poured into supporting him. And yet, sometimes that little voice still asks, “Did I do enough?”

I explore how comparison slips into guilt and shame, why it can hit harder when we’re tired or overwhelmed, and how it creates silence within the very communities we turn to for connection. Some families hesitate to share their hardest days. Others hold back their good news.

ONCE UPON A GENE- EPISODE 279: Falling Into Place: A Pocket Bible of Wisdom from the Colorado Mama Tribe Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Colorado Mama Tribe invited me out to talk about storytelling. What I found was even more than I had hoped for. They did it. They figured it out - at least some of it. And what hasn’t been solved yet already has bones.

That’s the falling into place. Not one perfect click. More like dominoes. One mama tells the truth. The next one doesn’t have to start from nothing. The piece that was missing finds the piece that was waiting, and suddenly the whole line can move.

Little bites from the women in that room, recorded and stitched together as a memento for them and a field guide for anyone who needs one. Think of it as a pocket bible of mama wisdom: the advice they wish they’d heard sooner, the lines they keep repeating to each other, the stuff that only lands when it comes from someone who’s lived it.

You’re not alone. A tribe can be built wherever you are. It takes work. It’s worth it.

Thank you, Colorado Mama Tribe, for letting me see what falling into place can look like for all of us.

ONCE UPON A GENE –EPISODE 278: His Son Was Diagnosed with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) — A Dad’s Honest Story of Overwhelm, Faith, and Finding Hope Through Treatment w/ Matt Abernethy Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

Effie welcomes Matt Abernethy, a father and biotech executive whose story feels almost too perfectly timed to be real. Matt’s youngest son, Ian (now 13), was diagnosed with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) at age two. While navigating the overwhelm, fear, and daily stress of managing a rare disease, Matt received a cold recruiter call for a CFO role at Neurocrine Biosciences — a company actively developing a treatment for CAH. He and his wife Brittany made the leap of faith, moving their family from Indiana to San Diego. Matt kept his personal connection private for years so he could lead objectively. Eventually, he shared his story in an emotional all-company meeting. Ian later became the first patient to receive the newly approved medication. Matt opens up about being a “dadvocate,” the role of faith through the hardest times, what he would tell his overwhelmed past self, the importance of seeking expert care, and communicating with your spouse. It’s a powerful, hope-filled conversation about divine timing, resilience, and the human side of drug development.

ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 277: A Mother’s Son Was Diagnosed with the Rare, Debilitating Disease LMNA-Related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (L-CMD) — A Mother’s Story of DNR Orders and How Those Decisions Change Over Time with Hannah Lowe Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Hannah Lowe is back on the show. In this episode, Effie and Hannah discuss do not resuscitate orders for children with rare diseases. Hannah shares her experience with her son Austin and how the conversation around DNRs came up for their family. They talk about the decision-making process, how feelings around these choices can change over time, and why these conversations matter in the rare disease community.

The episode also touches on planning ahead, the emotional side of these decisions, and the importance of having these talks before a crisis hits.

In this episode:

Hannah’s update on Austin and the L-CMD Research Foundation
How the DNR conversation first came up for their family
The personal and practical side of these decisions
Why more open discussion is needed in the community

Links:

Listen now and subscribe for more conversations on rare disease life, advocacy, and family stories.

ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 276: His Two Sons Were Diagnosed with Coats Plus Syndrome — One Father’s Story of Rare Disease Advocacy and Brotherhood with Bryan Docobo Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

Bryan Docobo — attorney, father, rare disease advocate, and founder of the Coats Plus Foundation. Bryan opens up about the devastating journey of losing his four-year-old son Ethan to Coats Plus Syndrome (a rare telomere disorder caused by a CTC1 gene mutation) in June 2024, while fiercely fighting for his older son Liam, who is also battling the same condition. Bryan shares the pre-diagnosis struggles, the shocking moment of Liam’s grand mal seizure that led to the diagnosis, the science behind the disease (telomere dysfunction affecting blood vessels, brain, eyes, and GI tract), and the proactive steps his family has taken. These include pushing for Avastin (anti-VEGF) treatment that has stopped brain calcifications and leukodystrophy progression in Liam, stem cell infusions showing clinical improvements, and an ambitious push for personalized gene therapy (requiring $3–5 million in funding).He also discusses the profound grief that transformed into purpose, including losing 80 pounds, deepening his spirituality, and founding the Luminary Tribe — a growing men’s support community in South Florida (with plans to expand) focused on vulnerability, connection, and helping high-achieving men show up stronger for their families. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, advocacy, fatherhood, and turning unimaginable pain into meaningful action that could help not just Coats Plus families but the broader rare disease and longevity communities.

Links:

Coats Foundation

LUMENARY Instagram

Bryan's Instagram

ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 275: How AI is Making Personalized Therapies Faster, Cheaper, and Accessible for the World’s Rarest Diseases with Steven Ringel May 28, 2026

Show notes

Get your free Nome report at www.nome.bio – Families can upload a genetic report and receive a free personalized therapy feasibility report in minutes.

In this powerful conversation, Effie Parks sits down with Steven Ringel — patient, sibling of a patient, founder of the Kizuna Foundation, and CEO of Nome to discuss how AI is revolutionizing personalized medicine for the smallest rare disease communities. Diagnosed at 17 with an ultra-rare inherited retinal disease caused by mutations in the KIZ gene (and later learning his younger sister Natalie shares the exact same diagnosis), Steven refused to accept the doctors’ advice to “learn braille and prepare to go blind.”

Instead, he built a 501(c)(3) to develop custom gene therapies and then launched Nome, an AI operating system that makes personalized therapies faster, cheaper, and accessible even to the tiniest patient advocacy groups. Since the original recording, Nome has exploded: they closed a $2.7 million seed round and their AI platform is now live at nome.bio

Steven shares the deeply human side of rare disease, the operational bottlenecks that hold back small patient-led efforts, and how Nome’s AI acts as the “quarterback” to coordinate experts, manufacturers, and regulators — turning “maybe” into clear, actionable next steps.

If you or a loved one has a genetic diagnosis and you’re wondering whether a personalized therapy could be possible, head over to www.nome.bio right now and upload your genetic report. It’s completely free, takes just minutes, and could open doors you didn’t even know existed. Steven and the Nome team built this tool because every patient deserves to know their options — no matter how rare their condition is.

Thanks for listening to Once Upon a Gene! If this episode lit a spark, share it with a fellow rare disease family and help us spread the word about Nome. See you in the next episode!

ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 274: Caregiver Archetypes of Survival (Part 4) | The Victim Archetype: From Cowardly Lion to Roaring Warrior – Reclaiming Your Inner Courage Without Losing Yourself with Christy Foster May 21, 2026

Show notes

In the final episode of their four-part archetype series, Effie Parks and archetype expert Christy Foster explore the Victim Archetype—represented by the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. They emphasize that archetypes are neutral energies (as taught by Carl Jung and Caroline Myss) that everyone experiences. The conversation is tailored for parents raising children with disabilities, focusing on the real, repeated feelings of powerlessness, fear, and exhaustion—and how to alchemize them by dancing between the Victim and the Warrior. Christy guides listeners through noticing victim language and patterns, invoking the Warrior for sacred action (like holding your child during medical procedures), repairing afterward, asking for/receiving help, reparenting the inner child, and interrupting mental loops. Effie shares personal stories about hot yoga as repair, using cowgirl boots as a power object, and the daily reality of “going ice” (dissociating) vs. staying embodied as the Warrior. The episode is compassionate, practical, and full of simple tools you can put on your fridge or bedside table today.

Subscribe to Christy’s podcast: No One is Perfect

If this episode touched you, please share it with another rare disease or special needs parent who needs to hear that they’re not alone — and that hope can come back. 💛

Thanks for listening!

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ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 273 Caregiver Archetypes of Survival (Part 3) The Saboteur Archetype: Reclaiming Your Inner Authority Without Losing Yourself, w/ Christy Foster May 14, 2026

Show notes

In part 3 of our 4-part series on Caregiver Archetypes, my sister and somatic therapist Christy Foster returns to unpack the Saboteur — the clever inner voice that second-guesses you, overthinks everything, and talks you out of what you actually want and need.

We explore how this archetype shows up for caregivers (especially around time, perfectionism, trusting your gut when doctors gaslight you, asking for help, and feeling “not enough”). You’ll learn how to spot the Saboteur in real time, separate doubt from data, run tiny experiments to rebuild self-trust, and shift from the Scarecrow (who believes he has no brain) into the Magician — the part of you that creates something out of nothing, including time and sovereignty.

This episode is packed with practical language shifts, somatic awareness, and compassionate tools that have literally changed how I show up for myself and Ford.

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 272 Caregiver Archetypes of Survival (Part 2) The Prostitute Archetype: Reclaiming Your Worth Without Losing Yourself, w/ Christy Foster Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to Part 2 of our 4-part Caregiver Archetype series.

In this episode, Effie is joined by somatic therapist Christy Foster to explore the Prostitute Archetype—also known as the Worth/Value archetype.

This pattern asks:
What part of myself am I trading for approval, peace, love, or survival?

For caregivers, this can show up as sacrificing your time, identity, health, and needs just to keep everything going. While it often comes from love, the cost can quietly become too high.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

How this archetype shows up in caregiving
The difference between self-sacrifice and self-abandonment
Why your needs still matter
Simple ways to reconnect with yourself—even in the chaos

This episode is your reminder:
You can care for your child without losing yourself in the process.

Series Note: This is Episode 2 of 4. Next up: The Saboteur Archetype.

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