MORE FROM HUFFPOST
MORE FROM HUFFPOST
rare diseases
Participating in clinical trials makes me feel extremely hopeful. Any study promises a chance of therapeutic benefit, but to me, none of these drugs work until proven, so therapeutic benefit is not my expectation.
Five years later, my daughter's challenges are still mysterious. But they are familiar, and far, far less terrifying. This Mother's Day my mother, Esmé and I may be able to sit in the sunshine and admire the gardens as they burst into life.
Brayden and his family have learned to deal with the constant staring and comments from strangers. Typical remarks include: "Wow, you're really sunburned," or "Did your legs get burned in a fire?"
A baby is born with ALD every 36 hours in America. The tragedy is most parents won't know it. Currently, newborn screening is a state-by-state matter. In 2013, New York became the first state in the US to test all newborns for ALD.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
I wonder if all of the hype and idolizing of him obscured the fact to his associates that at end of the day each and every one of us have this in common; we all suffer.
. The discussion was difficult; by the end of the session, all of us were in tears. However, at no time during that visit were the names Julius Hallervorden and Hugo Spatz mentioned. Having read about them, I've erased the eponym bearing their names from my database.
Having a child with a terminal illness and knowing their days are numbered will make you wish time would stand still.
Work is not our identity; we are so much more. The personal qualities we brought to our jobs are what continue to make us whole and worthwhile. Put work aside for now and take a look inside yourself. You'll discover you never stopped being valuable.
He runs like he knows it's a gift to be treasured, his little face all flush, breathing hard he grabs at my hand until I take it, his chubby fingers pulling me to one side.
