Aaron Olson – Writer and Contributor
“marvelous margaux”
meet
Liz, Justun, and Margaux A blended family - Liz is a stepparent & advocate for Margaux
Liz and Justun live in the Little Flower neighborhood, located on the near-east side of Indianapolis, with their daughter Margaux, four cats, and their dog, Lisa Marie. Justun and Liz are both teachers by trade and met while teaching at the same school. Margaux is Justun’s daughter from a prior relationship, but it wasn’t long before she developed a tight bond with Liz, who recently stepped away from teaching to help with her care. Liz, in addition to helping with Margaux’s care, writes a children’s book series called “Marvelous Margaux.” The book series is based on Margaux’s experiences and the challenges faced by children who have similar disorders. The book series makes no profit and any money made is put directly into creating more books. “My plan is to create a series that includes all therapies, doctor appointments, and other rare diseases to promote awareness,” Liz said. Needs Living • August 2021 36 Special
Margaux was born with Dup 15q syndrome, a genetic condition in which chromosomes 15q11.2-q13.1 are duplicated. The disease manifests itself primarily as a neurodevelopmental disorder that is often accompanied by autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, and intellectual disability. It is the most common cause of genetic autism. Though autism through this disorder generally presents with the usual set of symptoms, people with Dup 15q syndrome are more likely to have motor impairment and impairment of daily living skills while having a lower severity of autism as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Generally speaking, this means that people with this type of disorder may display a higher degree of social function. There is a great deal of care dedicated to Margaux’s needs. Initially, Margaux struggled with potty
