Be Inspired to Accept and Overcome Challenge Family w Rare Syndromes

Debbie, Heather, and Logan speaking to medical students

Listen to talks that can leave you inspired to accept and overcome challenges you face in your life. We have become experts at overcoming challenges because we face quite a few ourselves. Our family is overcoming Miller syndrome, hearing loss, PCD (lung disease), autism, and MS.

We enjoy making a positive difference by sharing how we overcome them.

Sharing Stories to Help People Overcome Challenges

Each year for the past 25 years, Heather, Logan and I share our stories with 100 or more first-year medical students. We speak to them in their human genetics course at the University of Utah.

Medical students show their appreciation by sharing their impressions. For example, one student said,

This was the most impacting and inspiring clinical correlation I have ever attended. I am grateful they came and HIGHLY recommend bringing them back if at all possible.

The medical student’s comments and their show of gratitude keep us coming each year. We have spoken to over 2000 medical students. Making a positive difference for future doctors and other people by sharing our story is a real passion of ours.

After scrambling to present our talks in a 45-minute course, which includes an introduction by the professor, we were thrilled to be offered a two-hour time slot to give our presentation each year for the past five years.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like giving birth to a baby with visible disabilities? Debbie shares.

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We are now the keynote speakers marking the end of the medical students first semester of medical school each year. We look forward to giving back because doctors and scientists have done so much to help our family.

Dr. Lynn Jorde Describes Two Rare Syndromes: Miller Syndrome and PCD

My husband, Dr. Lynn Jorde, department chairman of human genetics, teaches the first year medical students. He gives them a background about Miller syndrome, and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), two rare syndromes which affect Heather and Logan.

He then proceeds to teach about how we became the first family worldwide to have our entire genome sequenced which lead to scientists discovering two previously unknown genes as well as the human mutation rate.

Dr. Lynn Jorde

Debbie, Heather, and Logan Have Shared Their Experiences with over 2000 Medical Students

I speak about what it was like for me when Heather and then Logan were each born with visible disabilities and share some of the experiences I”ve had with doctors along the way. Heather and Logan talk about what their life is like living with Miller syndrome, hearing loss, PCD, and autism, and share stories of their interactions with doctors.