On August 24, 2006, Ally Marie Arant was born the third child of Scott and Deborah Arant. Though beautiful and perfect in so many ways, Ally entered the world with no muscle tone and without the strength to cry. Deb knew immediately that something wasn’t right. Ally was taken to the NICU, where she spent her first 30 days. That’s when we learned of her diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). Doctors explained that she would develop an insatiable drive to eat and would be more prone to gaining fat rather than lean muscle mass. These challenges would become lifelong struggles for both Ally and her family.
Despite delays in walking, talking, and nearly every major milestone parents look forward to, Ally eventually achieved them. Each one felt that much more meaningful. With support from feeding therapy, speech therapy, hippotherapy, physical therapy, and more, Ally continued to make progress.
Around age 5, we noticed her growing appetite. Saying no increasingly resulted in arguments. As the years passed, her food-related compulsions became stronger and more difficult to manage. Each year, Ally seemed heavier than the last. By 13, she was becoming obese. As a family, we locked our pantry and refrigerator at night to prevent food-seeking and changed the way we all ate to avoid tempting high-fat meals.
By the time Ally turned 18, we knew we had to take drastic steps to help her regain control of her health. In the fall of 2024, she began taking Tirzepatide, a medicine that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar, and was first created for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. With this medication, Ally was able to shift her eating habits: she focused more on protein, maintained her daily walks, and stayed consistent. Slowly but surely, the weight began to come off. In the world of PWS, success begins with not gaining, and true victory comes with losing. One year later, Ally has lost 36 pounds and continues to make steady progress. She is proud of herself, thrilled to fit into clothes she once couldn’t, and she has discovered a new joy in simply feeling better.
Today, at 19, Ally is ready for her next chapter. For most young adults, this means moving out of the house and perhaps attending college. However, due to the unique food-related risks and the associated liability, young adults with PWS are often not ideal candidates for traditional college environments. Still, Ally has dreams just like her brothers. She wants her own place, her own life, her own independence. She wants to spread her wings.
Ally’s hopes were the inspiration of the C-15 Foundation campus. Located in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, just a short drive from the Atlanta airport, this development will be the first PWS-dedicated Live, Work, Play, and Thrive campus in the United States. The campus’s first phase is designed to support up to 24 young adults with PWS, with the ultimate vision to house up to 48, and offers a semi-independent living setting with daily life-coaching support to ensure purpose, structure, and personal accomplishment.
At the C-15 campus, each resident will have their own private residence — a cozy, tiny home within a safe, welcoming community. There will be a secure dining hall where everyone can come together for meals, and an on-site, sustainable farm that provides fresh food while teaching valuable skills. The campus will offer work opportunities both on the farm and throughout the Chattahoochee Hills community, helping residents build real-world experience, a sense of purpose, and daily responsibility.
The Arant family is profoundly grateful not just for the opportunities Ally now has but also for the vision and heart behind this community, where young adults like Ally can safely pursue independence, friendship, and meaningful work. We are thankful to those who have seen this vision and helped make it possible. The C-15 Foundation campus vision was built from lived experience and a deep understanding of what it means to thrive with PWS. For other families searching for hope and belonging, this campus is more than a place to live; it’s a place to grow, to be understood, and to discover all that’s possible when opportunity and support come together.
