Keara Engle,  —

There’s a first time for everything, and this past week was a big first for my family. We loaded up the car and took my son, Cayden, to an amusement park for the first time. While it sure was a lot of fun, there were also some challenges. The first…

As special needs caregivers, we have many responsibilities. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning until the time our heads hit the pillow at night, our primary focus is caring for our child and their needs. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it can be…

Most people love the beach. Whether it’s your first time going to the beach or not, seaside vacations, and traveling in general, are almost always enjoyable. But what if you can’t get to the ocean once you’re there? Disabled individuals must find other ways…

One of the hardest things about being a special needs parent is all of the unknowns. Not knowing what tomorrow will look like makes planning things a bit difficult. I am someone who likes to have plans set in stone. However, I’ve had to adjust,…

One of the first tests my son had as a newborn was called a newborn screening test. This simple yet important blood sample is what started our journey with Pompe disease. The disease was added to Pennsylvania’s newborn screening panel one year before Cayden…

At least once a year, parents of disabled children sit down with teachers, therapists, and other important people at an individualized education plan (IEP) meeting. While IEP meetings are meant to be genuinely helpful, they can take a toll on special needs parents.  During the…

Although enzyme replacement infusions were initially very frightening, they have become a part of our routine. My son, Cayden, requires this lifesaving medication due to his infantile Pompe disease. It works by replacing the enzyme that his body cannot make on its own.  For the first…

At the young age of 15, I stared at the two bold lines on my pregnancy test and immediately burst into tears. How would I do this alone? I was only a sophomore in high school. I had no clue how I’d finish school and take care of…

Some doctors specialize in one field of medicine, which requires them to go through even more education and training. My son, Cayden, sees many different specialists, including a metabolism specialist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, nutritionist, otolaryngologist (ENT), and orthopedist.  Each of these specialists serves a…

When you hear the word “family,” who do you think of? Most people think of their immediate family and relatives, such as parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However, this word means so much more to me. After a rare disease diagnosis, we often…