The Wolfords' special journey with a special son

By JOE SCALZO

scalzo@vindy.com

LIBERTY

It’s 7 p.m. Wednesday night, and Eric Wolford, head football coach at Youngstown State University, is seated at his kitchen table, talking about his son. Suddenly, his wife, Melinda, walks into the room holding a paper plate full of spicy mustard, courtesy of 4-year-old Stone Wolford.

“This is what your son was doing,” Melinda said, grinning.

He just shook his head and smiled.

Four years ago, after suffering a miscarriage in her first pregnancy, Melinda Wolford gave birth to the couple’s first child. She was 38.

Almost immediately, Stone began to show signs of trouble.

He had trouble feeding. He couldn’t move his neck. He had vision problems.

Forty specialists later, the Wolfords got the diagnosis: Cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by skin problems, heart malformations and mental retardation. Only about 350 people worldwide have the disease. None has lived past 24.

Read the story of the Wolfords' journey since then with their special son in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.