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With Christmas right around the corner, I’ve had many people in our family ask what they can get my 4-year-old son, Cayden, for the holiday. A lot of toys aimed at children his age aren’t easy for him to use, which makes buying gifts a bit difficult. Cayden has…

I like to say that I’m a walking billboard for Pompe disease advocacy — not just by the way I walk, but by the messages on my clothes. I’m a huge sports fan and go to a lot of sporting events, so after getting my diagnosis of…

My 4-year-old son, Cayden, completed a sleep study in October. We’ve been waiting for his pulmonary specialist to call with the results, and we finally received them. While we didn’t get the news we were hoping for, I’m relieved that we were able to complete the study in…

It’s been four years since I was diagnosed with late-onset Pompe disease. At that point, I felt like my life was over. There were still so many places to go, events to attend, things to see. I thought I’d never be able to experience all I hoped to do…

As parents, we tend to put our children before ourselves — especially when they have special needs. Some of our children require numerous therapies and appointments with specialists. They may also need more help than other children their age. As a result, parents must make some sacrifices from time…

In some alternate reality, receiving my diagnosis of late-onset Pompe disease would’ve made all my problems go away. But in this universe, my rare disease is only one piece in the puzzle of my life. Six months before my diagnosis, our oldest son, Adam, passed away at age…

A few weeks ago, my 4-year-old son, Cayden, had a rare occurrence in which the implanted port in his chest stopped working. It was a scary situation and the first time it had ever happened. The port is necessary because Cayden receives biweekly enzyme replacement infusions of Nexviazyme…

For my diagnosis day celebration last week, I indulged and had a doughnut. We also celebrated Thanksgiving early with some apple and pumpkin pie. I really do enjoy eating desserts. But when I received my diagnosis of late-onset Pompe disease four years ago, I learned I needed…

When you have a child with a rare disease, it can be difficult to find people who are both comfortable and willing to care for them. It’s been a challenge to find people I trust enough to watch my 4-year-old son, Cayden, who has infantile-onset Pompe disease. Cayden…

As a society, we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and births. Some celebrate when their son or daughter goes to college or gets married. Others might do a happy dance when their team wins the World Series or Super Bowl. Personally, I celebrate the day I was diagnosed with a rare disease.