Deborah Trejo is an attorney specializing in environmental and water law, litigation and administrative law. She resides in Austin with her husband, Enrique, and their four children: Alejandro, Joaquin, Isabella and Elias. Her oldest son, Alejandro, has Down syndrome and Joaquin was diagnosed with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (“22q”; also known as DiGeorge syndrome and Velocardiofacial syndrome) at just four months old, following open heart surgery and genetic testing. Deborah and Enrique were given very incomplete information about the diagnosis and learned that although 22q is the second most common genetic disorder, it is widely unknown in the medical community and many individuals are never diagnosed.

In 2009, Deborah co-founded VCFS Texas, Inc./22q Texas to unite families and individuals across Texas and beyond affected by 22q. She is a tireless advocate for individuals with disabilities and spearheaded the passage of Senate Bill 1612 in the Texas Legislature in 2009 to raise awareness of Velocardiofacial syndrome/22q within the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program in Texas. Deborah has been committed to reaching as many people as possible about 22q, including Spanish-speaking families in Texas and around the world.

Joaquin’s journey with 22q has involved many challenges, including medical concerns and learning disabilities. But Joaquin has worked hard to succeed – becoming an Eagle Scout, working and pursuing higher education.

Through her work with 22q Texas and beyond, Deborah continues to work to make an impact on the lives of individuals and families affected by 22q and to encourage everyone else to get involved and make a difference.