parenting

Life has been a bit hectic lately. My family has many changes coming up, and each one brings its own challenges. I’ve lived in the same town for most of my life, as have my children. But that may soon change. Our family is growing, and we’ll be welcoming another…

At the young age of 16, I gave birth to my now 6-year-old son, Cayden. Like any new parent, I had to learn patience. I was raising a child while I was still a child myself, and it was no easy task. However, I quickly discovered that I would learn…

In our school district, the first two days of the holiday break were reserved for parent-teacher conferences. I quickly scheduled a meeting with my 5-year-old son Cayden’s kindergarten teacher. Because this year is his first in elementary school, it was also my first time attending such a conference. Before…

Over the years, I’ve had to make countless hard decisions for my 5-year-old son, Cayden, who has infantile-onset Pompe disease. He’s had surgeries, adaptive equipment, and appointments that haven’t been easy. I guess you could say I’ve gotten used to such decisions over time, but that doesn’t mean…

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…

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…

One of the first things people notice about my 4-year-old son, Cayden, is his lusciously long locks of hair. While some people love it, others aren’t so ecstatic that he’s a boy with long hair. I personally don’t believe that long hair is for a specific gender, but not everyone…

Living with or caring for someone with a rare disease means that life is often hectic. Between the endless appointments with specialists, infusions and other therapies, getting sick, and other responsibilities, it can feel like there’s barely any downtime. Eventually, one grows accustomed to the lifestyle, which makes things…

Soon, I will attend a meeting to discuss transitioning my 4-year-old son, Cayden, to elementary school during the next school year. I’m both nervous and excited about the meeting and the transition. I knew this day would come, but it feels as if it snuck up on us faster than…

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…