Olivia’s story began when her mother was five months pregnant. After a series of abnormal ultrasounds, doctors noticed something was wrong and conducted a series of genetic tests. They determined that Olivia had an extremely rare genetic disorder called an unbalanced translocation of her 8th and 22nd chromosomes. She was the only known person in the world with her specific genetic makeup. This disorder made the pregnancy extremely high risk and gave her an unknown life expectancy. Olivia had a wide array of diagnoses, including failure to thrive, microcephaly, chronic lung disease, epilepsy, specific antibody deficiency, growth deficiency, pediatric adrenarche, deafness in both ears, oral aversions, autism spectrum disorder, and she was G-tube dependent. She was nonverbal, non-ambulatory, and completely dependent on others to care for and advocate for her. She spent most of her life in hospitals due to severe illnesses, seizures, and an inability to tolerate feeds. This past year, Olivia’s health declined much faster than anticipated, and on May 5, 2026, at 8:55 p.m., she passed away in the arms of her family, in her own bed. Her family has found comfort in knowing that she is no longer in pain and can run free in a body that does not fail her.
Dandridge Family
