Candid and stirring, Eight Fingers and Eight Toes: Accepting Life’s Challenges shares the incredibly moving, unforgettable story of Debbie Jorde, a mother of two children born with a rare, physically disabling disorder called Miller syndrome that affects only thirty people worldwide. For her, it wasn’t so much about taking the path less traveled, but being forced on an odyssey in which she would redefine her definition of happiness, success, and perfection.This memoir shares a wealth of knowledge and shows inspiring examples of overcoming obstacles and challenges. While problems surrounding her children’s health issues are the centerpieces of the narrative, divorce, single motherhood, and an eating disorder also play a pivotal role. With astonishing honesty and clarity, she recounts her children’s struggles with physical disabilities, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder, (ASD) while opening up about her own life challenges and how the family was the first family ever to have their entire genome sequenced. As a result, the Miller syndrome gene was identified and detailed on the cover of The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times in March of 2010. Discovering the genes responsible for Miller syndrome and their lung disease, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), answered the question, "WHY?" bringing peace to this family. While this is a watershed moment in her life, her memoir illustrates the personal side of this inspiring and powerful story and shows how her children, now in their thirties, deal with seemingly endless daily challenges and how it is they’ve learned to create their own happiness one day at time, day in and day out.

Author Bio

Twenty five years ago, Debbie recognized that she was learning valuable lessons while raising Heather and Logan. Important lessons and insights were also gained while successfully overcoming her own personal challenges.. Realizing that when she dies the lessons she has learned will die with her, preventing other people from benefiting, ignited her passion to write her story. "Eight Fingers and Eight Toes: Accepting Life's Challenges" is her memoir, written to inspire other people and make a positive difference in their lives. In the past she has educated over 2,000 medical students and presented her experience to the Council of Deans of the American Association of medical colleges at their national meeting. She was invited to give the capstone presentation to first year medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She worked with government agencies to help her children achieve independence and gain education. Her daughter, Heather, has a bachelor's degree in psychology and her son, Logan, is self-employed as an artist with an associate's degree in graphic design. While overcoming her challenges Debbie developed a successful business as a self-employed hairstylist, owns her own salon, teaches aerobics, and models. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, hiking and skiing in SLC, Utah where she lives with her husband, Dr Lynn Jorde. She is currently setting an example of accepting and overcoming her recent challenge of having Multiple Sclerosis.  She is an avid supporter of the non-profit organization, the Foundation for Nager and Miller syndrome.  "Eight Fingers and Eight Toes: Accepting Life's Challenges" is her first book.