Powering Through Pompe – a Column by Keara Engle

Last week, my 5-year-old son, Cayden, had his annual checkup with the gastroenterologist. It’s been over a year since we last saw her, but he’s been doing so well with GI issues that she told us we no longer have to come back! This was great news that I…

Like much of the East Coast, we’ve been experiencing poor air quality here in Pennsylvania due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. In my 21 years, I don’t think I can remember a time when our air quality was this bad. Fortunately, we’re in the south-central part of Pennsylvania, so…

Last week, both of my children ended up sick. It started off on Memorial Day when my 5-month-old son, Kyree, developed pink eye. The doctor’s office was closed on the holiday, but I got him seen the next day. Aside from the pink eye, he was acting completely normal and…

Last February, my 5-year-old son, Cayden, started a preschool program at one of the local elementary schools. The program would prepare him for kindergarten, which he’ll start this fall. So far, preschool has been amazing for him. A nurse has to accompany Cayden to preschool for several reasons. First,…

Last week, my 5-year-old son, Cayden, had his annual well-child check with his pediatrician. He wasn’t due for any vaccines, and for the most part, the visit was fairly uneventful. We try to see the same doctor for these appointments, as she’s familiar with Cayden and all of his…

Typically, when we think of playgrounds, we envision children running around, having the time of their lives. But this isn’t always the case. For my 5-year-old son, Cayden, it’s a bit hard to enjoy the playground. Cayden is in a wheelchair, so sometimes he has trouble accessing playground equipment.

Recently, we were putting things in place for a road trip this summer. We’d planned to attend a pediatric Pompe disease conference in July, hosted by Duke University in North Carolina. My grandmother was going to come along with my 5-year-old son, Cayden, and me. However, the conference was…

Last week, my 5-year-old son, Cayden, had his first karate class. His preschool class took a field trip to a local karate center. Parents were invited to join in on the fun. While neither of us had ever done karate before, it certainly was fun. I really enjoyed spending…

Last week, my 5-year-old son, Cayden, had a checkup with his metabolic doctors during a clinic day for his Pompe disease. This visit was mostly typical of those events and went about as expected. I was thankful for the good report from his doctors. Further, the physical therapist said…

When I was younger, I never imagined that I’d become a teen mom. I was scared to share with my mom the news that I was pregnant. I didn’t know how she’d react because she’d been a teen mom, too, and that was the last thing she wanted for…