Zoey's Story: Life with CDD

02/13/2026

February is Rare Disease Month! 🦓
And while “rare” is the label… there is nothing small about the strength I see every single day.
Zoey is one of the rare ones.
Rare in diagnosis.
Rare in resilience.
Rare in the way she has stretched our faith, our patience, and our capacity to love.
Living with a rare disease means navigating unknowns, advocating harder, explaining more, and celebrating milestones others may take for granted.
But it also means witnessing courage up close.
This month, we honor the families walking this road.
We honor the fighters.
We honor the caregivers.
And we continue raising awareness — because rare deserves recognition.

💜 If you know a rare warrior, drop a purple heart below.

02/02/2026

TODAY – ZOEY TURNS FIVE!

Happy Birthday, Zoey 💛

Today we celebrate 5 beautiful years of Zoey—
five years of strength, joy, laughter, and a light that has changed our lives forever.

Zoey, you are deeply loved.
You are celebrated.
You are exactly who you are meant to be.

Thank you to everyone who has loved her, prayed for her, encouraged our family, and celebrated this milestone with us. Our hearts are full beyond words.

Happy 5th Birthday, sweet girl 💛✨

01/30/2026

🎂 TOMORROW – ZOEY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY!

(Saturday , 1/31)

Tomorrow we celebrate 5 incredible years of Zoey 🎉
Our home will be filled with love, laughter, and gratitude as we celebrate this sweet girl.

Thank you for being part of her village—through love, support, prayers, and generosity.
No matter how you celebrate with us, please know how deeply grateful we are.

Happy almost birthday, sweet girl 💛

01/29/2026

🎈 2 DAYS TO GO – 2 WORDS: PURE JOY

Only 2 days until Zoey’s birthday celebration at home (1/31) 💛

Zoey is joy in human form.
Her presence alone is a celebration.

Thank you to everyone who has shared kind words, encouragement, and love as we count down. We feel it all.

(Links in comments for anyone who’s asked)

01/28/2026

💛 3 DAYS TO GO – 3 DREAMS FOR ZOEY

With just 3 days until we celebrate Zoey’s 5th birthday, we’re holding space for big dreams:
✨ Cure for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder
✨ More joy-filled experiences
✨ A world that keeps making room for her

We strive everyday to provide all the care Zoey needs and that means making the world in the way that she needs it. Zoey should feel welcome in all the spaces that she goes, especially at home.

If you feel led to celebrate her birthday in this way, the fundraiser link is below.
If not—your love, prayers, and encouragement mean just as much. 💚💜

01/27/2026

✨ 4 DAYS TO GO – 4 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT ZOEY

(4 days until her party on 1/31)

1️⃣ Her spirit
2️⃣ Her sweetness
3️⃣ Her strength
4️⃣ Her beauty

Zoey has changed our world in more ways than we can count.
As we get closer to celebrating her on Saturday 1/31, we’re reminded how loved she truly is.

🎂 Fundraiser link in comments
🎈 Alternative ways to give listed for those who prefer

01/26/2026

🎉 5 DAYS TO GO – 5 YEARS OF ZOEY MAGIC

Zoey turns FIVE in just a few days 💛
Five years of smiles, strength, laughter, and teaching us what really matters.

As we count down to her big day, we’re celebrating who she is and the joy she brings to everyone who knows her.
We’ll be celebrating her with family and friends at home on Saturday, 1/31, and our hearts are full already.

📌 If you’d like to celebrate Zoey with us, her birthday fundraiser link is below.
💛 If you prefer Venmo/PayPal/Cash App, those options are listed as well.

Mostly—we’re just grateful for you.

Moms love to go down memory lane, take a look at Zoey in her first year of life, it's bittersweet as that's when the diagnosis was given along with many doctor visits and learning more about CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder and what that meant for our family. 💜💚💜

01/15/2026

Zoey Is Turning 5! 🎂💛

Join us as we celebrate
5 joyful years of Zoey

📅 Date: 1/31/2026
⏰ Time: 1pm
📍 Location: Our home

We’re keeping it simple, fun, and full of love—good food, kid-friendly activities, and space for everyone to enjoy at their own pace.

✨ Your presence is the greatest gift.
✨ For those who’ve asked, a birthday fundraiser will be shared separately—no pressure at all.

We can’t wait to celebrate our girl with the people who love her most 💛

Love,
Zoey’s Family

11/25/2025

I got over 1,450 reactions on my posts last week! Thanks everyone for your support! 🎉

11/16/2025

Thank you so much to everyone who has shared, donated, and covered our family in love and prayers. 💜 Every contribution brings us one step closer to building a safe, accessible bathroom for Zoey, and we are truly grateful. We can feel God moving through your generosity.
If you feel led, please continue to share or give—your support is making a real difference for our sweet girl. 🙏🏾✨

Meet Zoey — our sunshine and inspiration. Zoey was diagnosed with CDKL5 … Jackie Pickens needs your support for Building a Safe & Joyful Bathroom for Zoey

11/07/2025

Between therapies, hospital visits, and endless love, caregiving for Zoey means finding strength in the small moments. 💜

Our next step is remodeling her bathroom to make it accessible — a space where safety, comfort, and joy meet. It’s more than tile and fixtures — it’s about dignity, independence, and love made visible.

Please consider supporting Zoey’s GoFundMe and sharing her story so we can make this dream a reality.

Meet Zoey — our sunshine and inspiration. Zoey was diagnosed with CDKL5 … Jackie Pickens needs your support for Building a Safe & Joyful Bathroom for Zoey

11/07/2025

Our story was recently featured in The Birmingham Times — a reminder that faith, family, and fortitude truly can carry you through anything. 💜

Zoey continues to teach us what resilience looks like every single day. As we care for her and help her thrive with CDKL5 disorder, we’re also working toward making our home safer and more accessible for her daily needs.

We’ve launched a GoFundMe to remodel her bathroom — giving her the dignity and comfort she deserves. If you feel led, please read our story and share or donate to help us reach our goal.

Gofundme link: https://gofund.me/618f71729

Read our story here: https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2025/11/faith-family-and-fortitude-caring-for-zoey/

🙏🏽 Every prayer, share, and dollar makes a difference.

By Don Rhodes II | The Birmingham Times Every morning for Lamont and Jackie Pickens begins with prayer. Lamont finds a quiet place in their Pinson home, his secret place early in the morning, “befo…