Mandy and Kate chat to Ondine Sherman, cofounder and managing director of Voiceless, the animal protection institute, author and Pea mum of identical 16-year-old twin boys with rare genetic disorder MCT8 deficiency. Ondine is our friend Mia Freedman’s cousin and is calling in from her home in Israel.  

Ondine’s boys have severe disabilities as a result of their condition. She chats about the challenges of their birth and diagnoses in Israel, where she was also managing her toddler daughter plus her unwell newborns far from her family's support, while also not speaking the local language of Hebrew. The boys were eventually diagnosed with the very rare disorder after a long search for help and answers that was spearheaded by Ondine’s dedicated dad.  

Ondine reflects on the challenging and often lonely journey of being a twin mum with kids with special needs. The family moved back to Australia for a while to be closer to family, but ended up returning to Israel as it was a better fit overall for the family’s needs.

In the last few years, Ondine’s been able to focus on her life and career again, and has written several books, including her memoir The Miracle of Love, Vegan Living: A simple guide to a cruelty-free, healthy plant-based life and the Animal Allies YA Series Sky, Snow and Star.  She also founded Voiceless with her dad to promote an equitable world where animals can flourish.

Thank you for sharing your story with us Ondine! Find out more about Ondine’s books, life and work on her website 

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