EXTRAORDINARY LOVE If you’ve never heard of THAP-12, you’re not alone. Emma, now 5, and Abby, 3, are the only two sisters in the world known to have this condition.

They suffer from constant seizures that can stop their breathing. Emma wears oxygen almost all the time. Abby can come off the oxygen occasionally. They both eat through a feeding tube, have very little use of their limbs, and cannot hold up their heads. THAP-12 has no known cure. Mariah, their mother, is a software engineer but went back to school to become a nurse to better care for her daughters at home.

Water therapy is one of the only joys for both little girls, but they outgrew their flotation devices. Generous donors to Courageous Faces Foundation provided the family with new, better-fitting adaptive flotation units so they could enjoy limited sensation in the water—a vital therapy for helping to connect brain, nerve, and muscle patterning with some arm and leg movement. Their parents say it’s probably their happiest time.

Learn more about Emma, Abby and their parents as they share their journey of extraordinary love, devotion and determination. Their incredible story defines the true meaning of courageous as they continue to be the only known family with children with this rare diagnosis. See how you can help make a difference in the quality of life for Emma, Abby and other courageous Champions.