Julia Erman

We were living in a tiny cabin on Ames Lake in Washington State, and I woke up with a single, unexpected thought in my mind: “Hazelnut, it’s time to get up.” I grabbed my phone and wrote the very first Hazelnut story in the dark. Honestly, I was just desperate to find a way to explain to our friends—parents of typically developing kids—why Hazel was turning one and still couldn’t walk or talk. I wanted a gentle, simple story that helped them understand her, see her, and love her. A few years...

Hi, I’m Julia Erman — wife, mom to two amazing kids with a rare genetic disorder, creator, author, and founder of The Hazelnut Movement, where we’re working to change the way the world sees those impacted by disability. I started sharing my life on social media about eight years ago, not realizing it would become a space where I’d tell my story of faith, motherhood, and resilience. Along the way, I’ve walked through becoming a special needs mom twice, endured chemotherapy while pregnant, and...

Here at The Hazelnut Movement, our goal is simple: to create awareness. Awareness that there’s a real problem with the way the world...