Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe are another beautiful Hollywood power couple. Their beauty is not only skin deep. Their hearts are filled with love, compassion and charity. In 2008 they founded Sophie’s Voice Foundation. The foundation is named after their daughter, who was diagnosed with Spina Bifida when she was born. Their website for the organization can be found here: http://www.sophiesvoicefoundation.org  It contains all of the pertinent statistics, projections and advances involved with the birth defect. It also focuses on what is sometimes unintentionally overlooked, as is the case with numerous illnesses – prevention.

According to Mayo Clinic, “Spina bifida, [meaning “open spine”], is part of a group of birth defects called neural tube defects. The neural tube is the embryonic structure that eventually develops into the baby’s brain and spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them.”

Sophie’s Voice Foundation was put in place, according to the website, in order to “[support] family outreach programs, prenatal education and surgical studies for children and adults with Spina Bifida.” As one of the pioneering efforts to bring awareness and resolution to the problems associated with Spina Bifida, Sophie’s Voice Foundation also intends to create a Center for Spina Bifida for Research and Prevention.

Here’s a spotlight on the foundation, in their own words:

(Source: Sophie’s Voice YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/SophiesVoice)

 “Sophie’s Voice Foundation is dedicated to saving the lives of children, even before they begin.” – Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe

###