Most parents don’t think about their children’s overall health being anything but normal. Expecting a child usually brings about thoughts of which parent they will look most similar to, what their personality will be like, and what they might want to become. Sometimes things don’t go to plan; however, and unexpected issues pop up. This is what happened to Deborah Marcotte.

Deb Marcotte has four children, the last two of which are twins. The oldest two sons are Brennan and Adam, and the twin girls are named Emma and Allison, or Allie for short.

Each one of Marcotte’s children would come to have a different set of special needs or chronic illnesses, which not only made their lives challenging, but Marcotte’s life as well. Though presented with an immense amount of challenges, Marcotte has with the help of her faith continued to be a pillar of strength for those she loves.

A chronic illness is defined as a kind of disorder that will be with a person throughout their entire life. Often inherited, having a chronic illness means dealing with symptoms daily, which can range from slightly annoying to completely debilitating. Most of these can be controlled with medication but are not curable.

Allie Marcotte in particular has an illness called Moyamoya, which affects the arteries in the brain and can cause seizures and strokes. She has had numerous hospital stays, countless medical procedures, and six different surgeries on her brain. Moyamoya is not curable, but surgeries to the brain can prevent some symptoms of the disease and reduce the risk of future strokes.

Deborah Marcotte has written a book called Gifts of Grace where she delves into the lives of her and her children and what they face. In her book, she writes about encountering endless procedures and how her faith and prayer helped her to stay strong.

These incredible individuals have endured so much. Though put through a limitless amount of stress, Marcotte has navigated through life smiling and laughing more than anybody you know and is always encouraging others. She has an incredibly big heart and cares not only for her children, but for the children she teaches.

She is always present for her own children and those in her classroom, and is easily one of the most heartwarming people you’ve ever met. A special thanks to the Marcottes for sharing their story and for persistently being a trustworthy anchor.