He was considered a surprise birth.Dorsey's parents were in their forties. They had two grown daughters and were considered past child-bearing age. When Dorsey was born, the doctors believed he wouldn't survive due to his life-threatening disability. Yet, now that he is approaching the age his parents were when they had him, author Dorsey Ross has lived a life of perseverance, overcoming countless obstacles. He enjoys encouraging others not to allow what they have gone through to stop them from living the life that God has for them. Dorsey's new autobiography, Overcomer, details the challenges he and his family faced when at birth he was diagnosed with Apert Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes abnormal shaping of the skull and face. Though pressured by doctors to place Dorsey into an institution, his parents decided to take him home and do what they could to help his life thrive. His parents never held him back from the things he wanted to accomplish, and they discovered there were very few things he couldn't do. Dorsey has undergone multiple operations over his lifetime. However, regardless of what he has had to face, Dorsey has not given up. He does everything he can to accomplish the goals and dreams God gave to him.