Hi I'm Yuna!

My name is Yuna, and I was born in Houston, Texas, in 2010. When I was born in Houston, a flurry of snow fell, an atypical event in warm Houston. Thus, my parents named me Yuna, meaning a "Snow Girl" in an old Korean dialect. My middle name, Heidi, is also associated with snow.....remember "Girl of the Alps"?

I have a little brother Joon, who is very nice to me 'most of the time.' It is so amusing to watch him play. My early years were very challenging for my family and me. I went through inconsolable crying, seizures, frequent infections, and sleep difficulties. My Mom and I would not have survived those days if my grandparents were not there to support us. They took excellent care of me and prayed for me all the time.

My parents are both scientists and work as professors at the University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo). My Mom and Dad are biologists and study brain development and gene expression. FOXG1 is a protein that controls gene expression in the brain. When I finally diagnosed with FOXG1 syndrome, all of us were shocked that my parents had perfect scientific qualifications to study the FOXG1 gene and FOXG1 syndrome. Not surprisingly or naturally, having me was an incredible motivation for my parents to investigate FOXG1 and search for a cure for FOXG1 syndrome. My parents and my little brother Joon talk about the FOXG1 at home and everywhere all the time. One would be amazed by how much FOXG1 takes center stage in our lives!

I am limited in my communication tools as I can neither speak nor use sign language. But! I can say "I love you" to my Mom, Dad, and my little brother with a big smile!! And they know it - how much I love them!