Innovators with Dyslexia

A Survival Story of a Child with VCFS

Quinn Interviews Walter Isaacson, the former editor of Time magazine and Chairman and CEO of CNN, the President of the Aspen Institute, and the author of numerous best sellers, including Kissinger: A Biography; Benjamin Franklin: An American Life; Einstein: His Life and Universe; Steve Jobs; The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution; Leonardo Da Vinci; and The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race. Walter talks about how, with the advances of CRISPR, we are now able to manipulate DNA to eliminate certain syndromes at birth, such as sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis, and how we might someday be able to edit out VCFS and Down’s Syndrome.

Friends of Quinn: Interview with Darla (Mother of a Child with VCFS), her son was diagnosed with VCFS at three months old at Children’s Hospital. Darla took her son to the hospital because he was routinely having a hard time breathing only to discover that he had VCFS. As shocking as this was to Darla and her husband, they were also relieved because it put them on a path of being able to treat their son’s illness. 

Actor Kenny Johnson Shares his Dyslexia Story with Quinn Bradlee. Kenny Johnson was first diagnosed with dyslexia at 23 years old. He came to Hollywood with only $500 in his pocket, and was afraid to go to interviews because he had a hard time reading scripts. That’s when his friend asked him if he had ever heard of dyslexia, and his life changed for the better. Finding out what was holding him back allowed Kenny to set a new course for his life.