Grace Marie Faul was born on 6/1/2021 at 2:57pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Women's and Children's Hospital in Lafayette, LA. She was, as far as anyone knew at the time, a healthy baby girl weighing in at 6 lbs 14 oz and measuring 18.5 inches long.  To her parents, Lance and Colleen Faul, she was a precious gift from God right from the beginning.

 As the months went by, Grace started exhibiting regressions in development and stopped making eye contact. She began experiencing infantile spasms at 6 months old and and a month later was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex after a DNA panel confirmed the doctors suspicions. Grace was immediately put on Vigibratin which seemed to get the seizures under control, and she was referred to specialists at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. 

Life since then has been jam packed with therapies and doctors appointments, with varying degrees of success. There are about 10 tubers throughout her brain that we know of, over a dozen on her kidneys, two in her right eye, and she has dozens of lesions on her skin all over her body. Grace is now on a waiting list to be evaluated for autism. 

All in all, Grace has blossomed into a healthy, happy toddler with her own way of approaching life. She is now over a year old and is a joy to everyone around her. She currently enjoys living with her parents and big brother, Samuel, in Broussard, LA.

I was inspired to write the story by my experience with my own daughter, Grace, when she was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. I found myself feeling the same things the parents feel in the book and praying the exact words that they say on the page.  I think God inspired me to write the book as an answer to my own prayer…and also as a way to bring His answer to others who are feeling the same thing.

The book is meant to be read to children ages 3 and up, but it is also meant just as much to be read by the parents, for whom there are no age restrictions.

For children with special needs I hope reading this book helps them to see themselves as nothing but a blessing from God to others. For children without special needs I hope reading it helps them to see children who are different as a gift.