About Denise

 

Hi, my name is Denise Barnes and I am a proud mom of my two children Caroline Guillen (Aug of 2000) and Emilio Guillen (May 1997).  We live in Los Angeles, California and are so happy to be able to represent Region 6 this year.  Caroline was diagnosed with 4p- at one month using the FISH genetic testing.  At that time she had a cleft palate, heart murmur, and was addmitted for failure to thrive (Seizures came at 6 months).  In 2005 she also came down with Kawasaki Disease, which attacks the immune system.   It has been a long and bumpy road, but Caroline has continually proved to amaze both her doctors and teachers, as well as family.  She is a very energetic girl who loves to dance, do art projects, spend time with Emilio, and go out.  Through the years we have made many friends within the support group and it has helped us to find strength and increase our knowledge of this disorder.  We hope to be able to pass on what we have learned, share experiences with others and provide a shoulder to lean on. Thank you.