Nicole ari parker boris kodjoe spina bifida
•
Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker's 2 Kids: All About the Actors’ Daughter Sophie and Son Nicolas
Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker are in awe of their two kids: Sophie and Nicolas.
The Station 19 alum and And Just Like That... star became parents for the first time when they welcomed their daughter Sophie in March 2005. The following fall, their family was completed with the birth of their son Nicolas in October 2006.
Fatherhood changed everything for Boris. "Once you become a parent, you're introduced to a whole new level of emotion," he told PEOPLE in 2007. "I want to do well and conquer the world for them, like Superman. It's as if a whole new chamber in my heart has opened up."
Though the family had no shortage of love, there were learning moments along the way. As an infant, Sophie was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly, according to the Mayo Clinic. Boris and Parker had to quickly learn h
•
Trumping spina bifida
In the world of duplicate bridge, partners move from table to table to play different pairs of opponents. As Atlanta bridge enthusiasts Janet Edwards and Brenda Shavin well know, some opponents can be downright pesky when they foil your opening bid.
But in the midst of play nearly two years ago, Edwards and Shavin quickly warmed up to their opponents, Rollins epidemiologist Godfrey Oakley and his wife, Mary Ann. They agreed to have dinner to learn more about Oakley’s passion—reducing the number of babies born with spina bifida worldwide. bygd the end of the meal, Edwards and Shavin had volunteered to raise funds for the Center for Spina Bifida Research, Prevention, and Policy (CSB), which Oakley directs.
"When we play bridge, we don’t really get a chance to meet and mingle," says Edwards, a member of the Duplicate Bridge Association of Atlanta. "When we learned about Godfrey’s work with spina bifida, we really wanted to be involved."
•
Boris and Nicole Open Up About Sophie's Spina Bifida
Three-year-old Sophie Tei Naaki bounds into her family’s sunny Atlanta kitchen, all smiles and puffy pigtails. “I made poo-poo in the potty!” she declares as her parents erupt into cheers. It’s the kind of positive reinforcement familiar to all parents of young children, but in Sophie’s case, the accomplishment is truly remarkable. Born with spina bifida, Sophie requires round-the-clock catheterization for her bladder, and she must be diligent about potty breaks. “We celebrate the poo-poo here,” says Sophie’s mom, actress Nicole Ari Parker. “It’s good news in this house.”
There was a time when Nicole and her husband, actor Boris Kodjoe, feared there would be only bad news in their young daughter’s life. “We have gone through so many different emotional levels with Sophie,” says Boris, 35. “We had the fear of her dying to paralysis. All kinds of different monsters attacked us.”
Read Sophie’s story and see more pho