Twin Diagnosis: Angelman Syndrome and the Bjorklund Girls

Anika and Sophia Bjorklund, identical twins who are now 6-½ years old, were born premature and spent 25 days in the NICU because of feeding issues. Over time, they were monitored by pediatricians and despite parents’ Francesca and Eric’s concerns that their daughters were missing developmental milestones, the doctors indicated that they were simply “delayed.” Fast-forward 18 months and the girls were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. They were also diagnosed with autism, which remains a diagnosis for the Bjorklund twins. While living at West Point, and while Eric was deployed, Francesca met with a team of doctors there, who suggested they conduct genetic testing to “rule anything out.” The girls had already started a variety of therapies—including physical, speech and occupational—because of the cerebral palsy diagnosis, and they were progressing well physically but not well with fine motor and oral motor skills.

It was then that the diagnosis of deletion-positive Angelman syndrome came back, a couple days apart, for each of the girls. At first, Francesca experienced feelings of frustration and sadness after realizing that she and Eric may not have the “perfect children” they always envisioned. But then, sadness turned to determination and perseverance, as both parents focused on the many positive attributes of the girls—the girls are such happy individuals, and no disability or diagnosis was going to come in Francesca and Eric’s way in providing the twins with a life full of possibilities and experiences. Since the diagnosis rendered little changes to the current therapies the twins were undergoing, the Bjorklund’s focused on their ultimate goal: what should we be doing to ensure our girls reach their full potential?

The answer was simple, according to Francesca: our kids can do what other kids can do; it just takes motivation, a lot of very, very hard work, and a plan to get there. Francesca surrounded herself with positive people, and connected with the Angelman Syndrome Foundation for resources and to find other AS families in her area, an experience that she says was invaluable during this difficult time of transition and learning. First, because they were twins—two toddlers to carry around rather than just one!—Francesca focused on walking. The girls, by nature, are very determined individuals, and at 2-½ years old, Sophia took her first steps out of her Kaye walker. Two days later, Anika joined her.

“Without a hope, a dream, or a vision, you’ll never get there,” said Francesca. “You have to craft that vision, that path, because it is all about options and possibilities and choice. Don’t let anyone tell you that your kids can’t do something—they can, and with the right plan in place, they will.”

And it is that mantra that continues to drive the Bjorklund family today, which was again recently tested by the twins beginning to learn to ride bikes at 6-years-old. “Pedal Perfect” became a dream and with the help of AMBUCS, adaptive bicycles were outfitted. As the girls have been learning to ride in the cold winter the glow on the girls’ faces is beyond enormous—it lights up the neighborhood, and fills the Bjorklunds with even more hope and promise for the future: the Bjorklund twins, with the right energy and support from their parents, are driven to excel at anything they put their minds to.