Effie Parks

Effie, mother of 6-year-old Ford, created the podcast, Once Upon A Gene. Since its launch in 2019, Effie has interviewed hundreds of parents, professionals, and advocates in the rare-disease community. She has won many awards, including the WEGO Health Award for Best in Show Podcast, the Disorder Channel Award for Best Rare Podcast, and Podcast Magazine’s 2022 “40 Under 40 in Podcasting” list. She lives in Mercer Island, Washington with husband Casey, Ford, and Ford’s little sister Esme.