Thanksgiving and Christmas are often associated with two things: food and family. But what about those who can’t eat? My 3-year-old son, Cayden, is picking up on the fact that he cannot eat orally. With the holiday season just around the corner, I’m worried about how this will affect him.
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Getting a six-and-a-half-hour enzyme replacement infusion once a week can be stressful. And I’m not even the one getting it. My son, Cayden, 3, gets an infusion called Lumizyme (alglucosidase alfa) to treat his infantile-onset Pompe disease. While the infusions have become routine for…
Oftentimes, a person with a rare disease may struggle with day-to-day activities such as walking, talking, eating, and getting dressed. This is the case for my 3-year-old son, Cayden. At the young age of 1 month, Cayden was diagnosed with a very rare genetic disease known as infantile-onset Pompe…
Global Genes has partnered with the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC) to advance health equity for rare disease patients and caregivers in underrepresented communities of color. “For rare disease patients, there are many challenges — and for people of color with a rare disease, these challenges are compounded…
Although my 3-year-old son, Cayden, loves preschool, I had to make a tough decision not to send him for a while. We have officially entered cold and flu season. While most parents don’t look forward to this time of year, it’s especially terrifying for me. Cayden’s infantile-onset Pompe disease…
The Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC) awarded $600,000 in grants to ease the disparities faced by rare disease patients of color. These Impact Rare Disease Solution grants will go five RDDC steering committee working groups, which aim to identify problems for rare disease communities and advocate for solutions. The five…
I will always be grateful I found our Pompe disease family. It brings me great joy when others find us and join the community, too. A Facebook blog I made for my 3-year-old son, Cayden, started off fairly small. But over the…
Last week, my 3-year-old son, Cayden, was discharged after a two-month hospitalization due to pneumonia caused by a human parainfluenza virus. Several unfortunate events occurred during this time, and as a result, I’ve been left with a variety of emotions, both good and bad. Coping with…
Prior to giving birth to my now 3-year-old son, Cayden, I was working part time at a local fast-food restaurant. But when Cayden was born and we discovered he has infantile-onset Pompe disease, working was no longer an option. As a single parent, I am the…
A newly launched non-profit institute is seeking to advance research, and the development of new therapies, for people with rare diseases — a patient community with some of the largest therapeutic needs, but one that is often left behind. Named the Institute for Life Changing Medicines, the project was…
Recent Posts
- Wanting to blend in, so the rare care isn’t the first thing that’s seen
- Home enzyme replacement therapy safe for Pompe disease children
- What ‘lucky’ really means for a child with Pompe disease
- Infantile Pompe brain changes may begin long before signs appear
- 1-time gene therapy cuts need for enzyme treatments for Pompe children