Quinn Bradlee
You’d think that the only son of superstar journalists Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn would have a silver spoon in his mouth and a gold ticket to Harvard, where three generations of Bradlee men went. But, Quinn Bradlee was born with velo-cardio-facial syndrome, or VCFS, the most common genetic syndrome after Down’s. While his father may have led “A Good Life,” as described his book, Quinn led “A Different Life,” the title of the younger Bradlee’s new book.
Bradlee was born with a hole in his heart that required intense surgery and treatment. He was kicked out of school and told he was “retarded.” But Bradlee wasn’t properly diagnosed with the little-known disorder until he was 14. Throughout his life he struggled with a host of physical ailments and learning disabilities.
Determined to find his own way and make it easy for other young people and their families dealing with learning disabilities to get information, Quinn started FriendsofQuinn.com. “If I can help a few people in life, I think I’ll be happy. I don’t know if I’d be satisfied, because I want to help everyone, but I would be happy,” he says.
What would you like to ask Quinn? Post your questions here or at iReport.com. Be sure to check out my interview with Quinn on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CNN.com Live.
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