You are born with CdLS. It is a development disability that is both physical and mentally. The conditions could be mild or severe.

Parents founded this non-profit organization in 1981. The foundation has more than 2,500 professionals that are very dedicated on CdLS. They also serve over 2,400 people with CdLS and 10,000 family members/ caregivers.

Some of the symptoms may include being born small and growing slow. You may also have a short upturned nose, eyebrows that meet in the middle, thin down turned lips, or long eyelashes. Other features may include excessive body hair or small hands or feet. You may also have a small head.

If you have CdLS there is a reflex disease that you can get called gastroesophageal reflex disease. You could also get Siezures, heart defects, hearing loss, feeding difficulties or vision problems. You may not get all the symptoms and medical issues I listed.

I contacted Kym Yadisernia and asked her about her and her son Jack who has CdLS, she said "My oldest son Jack was diagnosed shortly after birth. He is 12 years old now and thriving, but that was not always the case. From the moment he was born he faced huge hurdles. He was very small and had a really difficult time breathing because one of his lungs collapsed. He was struggling to eat and keep food down. He had to stay in the special care nursery at the hospital for a long time." That must have been really hard for her. Could you imagine having a child who's struggling to stay alive?" Over the years, Jack improved. He learned to walk and started talking a little bit. When he was nine we were able to send him to a special needs school in Lexington, Massachusetts. Everyday when he came home I would see a stronger, healthier, happier Jack. He was doing so fabulous that he didn't my constant attention anymore."

"I knew I wanted to do something I was passionate about. Something important that could make a positive impact on other people. I reached out to 2 of the most amazing friends I have, Anne Roberts and Sandy O'Malley. They too share the same passion for dance and giving back, and they were eager to help spread the word about CdLS." Said Kym. "I hope to make a difference by giving dancers an opportunity to hone their craft and become more confident performers, to give the audience a chance to be more involved in the competition process, and to fuse together the feeling of joy that we get from dancing with the joy that we feel for doing good deeds for others." Kym is very inspiring and someday I hope I can do something for others.

Kym ( the owner of diva dance competition ) has a son that has CdLS and loves to dance. She is helping lots of people while having fun.