Sophie Tei Naaki Lee Kodjoe is the daughter of actor and former model Boris Kodjoe and actress and model Nicole Ari Parker. Boris Kodjoe is known for his roles in Brown Sugar, Soul Food, and Code Black. Nicole Ari Parker has starred in several movies, including Blue Streak (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), Brown Sugar (2002), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Black Dynamite (2009), and Almost Christmas (2016).
Sophie Tei Naaki Lee Kodjoe: Bio Summary
| Name | Sophie Tei Naaki Lee Kodjoe |
| Age | 18 years old as of 2023 |
| Date of birth | March 5, 2005 |
| Gender | Female |
| Famous as | daughter of Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker |
| Relationship status | Single |
| Parents | Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker |
| Sibling | Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe |
| Grandparents | Eric Kodjoe, Ursula Kodjoe, Susan Parker, and Donald Parker |
How Old Is Sophie Tei Naaki Lee Kodjoe?
Sophie Tei Naaki Lee Kodjoe was born on March 5, 2005. As of 2023, Sophie is 18 years old. She is the first child of Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe commonly known as Boris Kodjoe and his wife Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe. Her father is a German actor, producer, and former model while her mother is an American actress and model.
Sophie has a brother called Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe. Nicolas was born on 31 October 2006. Sophie’s grandparents Ursula Kodjoe, a German psychologist of partially Jewish descent, and Dr. Eric Ofuatey-Kodjoe, a Ghanaian physician are from her father’s side while healthcare professional Susan Parker and dentist Donald Parker are from her mother’s side.
Also Read: Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe: Facts About Boris Kodjoe And Nicole Ari Parker’s Son
What Happened To Sophie?
Sophie Tei Naaki Lee Kodjoe was born with spina bifida, which was diagnosed at birth. Spina bifida is a birth defect that can affect a child’s ability to walk and control its bladder and bowel functions, and also affect the brain. Her parents got worried and feared there would be only bad news in their young daughter’s life.
“We had the fear of her dying to paralysis. All kinds of different monsters attacked us,” Boris said. Nicole also said: “I labored for a very long time at home with a midwife. I got to the hospital at 7.5 cm and then I stalled. At 8 cm they gave me the epidural and I slept for 45 minutes. I woke up and pushed her out.”
Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker went through stress but they stayed strong together. Boris Kodjoe has explained how the disorder affects his daughter, Sophie. According to Essence, Boris explained: “Our daughter Sophie was diagnosed with spina bifida, and thank God she has leg function. But she doesn’t have bladder function so she has to catheterize herself every three hours”.
“Three out of four babies would not have to be born with this every single day,” Boris Kodjoe said, “It’s up to you to protect yourself with folic acid. Folic acid is a vitamin B that prevents birth defects such as spina bifida by up to 75%. That’s a big number.”
Also Read: Ursula Kodjoe: Is Boris Kodjoe’s Mother Still Alive?
Sophie is now able to live a relatively normal life. Per a source, she still has some complications from her diagnosis, one of them being a neurogenic bladder, caused by a severe urinary tract infection.
Sophie’s Parents Began SVF In Her Honor
Sophie’s parents Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker then decided to found Sophie’s Voice Foundation (SVF) in her honor. The Foundation supports children with spina bifida. SVF activity focuses on the prevention of neural tube birth defects, the integration of medical care and wellness programs in multicultural communities, and others. According to the Foundation’s website,
“Nicole and Boris are extremely excited and motivated to be a voice for those unheard and to provide education about prevention and a possible cure for this most preventable birth defect.
As our children got older and grew more and more interested in some of our initiatives and projects, we decided to expand the work of the Foundation to accommodate some of Sophie and Nicolas’ social and cultural activism interests. As of June 2019, we have changed the name to the Kodjoe Family Foundation.”
It also says that: “Actors Boris Kodjoe and his wife Nicole Ari Parker know first-hand about spina bifida and how it affects a child and family dynamics because their daughter, Sophie, was born with spina bifida.
Also Read: Eric Kodjoe: What Happened To Boris Kodjoe’s Father?
They founded Sophie’s Voice Foundation (SVF) to further research that may offer viable solutions for better healthcare for children and adults living with spina bifida, to promote its prevention, and to improve the quality of life for those living with spina bifida.”
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