Columns

I Will Teach You How to Skate and Sing

Sometimes chronic illness holds us completely captive, and we lose moments due to pain or other complications. My family is no exception, as my youngest son experienced one year. He spent almost every holiday between October and February in the hospital. I helplessly stood by and watched my son…

A Field Guide to Dating Someone with Hemophilia

“Help, my partner has hemophilia! What now?” I’ve been dating a person with hemophilia for four years. In those years, we’ve had a lot of memorable experiences together, but as his carer, I have also faced struggles. I’ll be honest and say that being a HemoGirlfriend isn’t exactly a…

We Struggle and We Move On

Both of my sons packed and all three of us MacDonald guys were ready for what my youngest calls a “Daddy and Son Mad-capped Adventure.” My wife had an out-of-town speaking engagement, so that meant the youngest had to travel with my oldest and me. We were on our way…

Frogs, Snails, and a New Chapter

We are in a new town. A fresh start. My mighty warrior already loves the landscape that allows him to catch frogs and snails and marvel at the rain. When we lived in the desert, the eyes of our little boy didn’t see these things as easily. While…

I’m Learning to Accept My Normal

My condition, hemophilia, has always been an enigma for me. It’s been a huge challenge to my personal development, physical health, and mental stability. I wanted to believe that this disease was given to me for a reason. However, as the years progressed, I was wracked with hemophilia complications, and…

It’s a Long Way from Home to First Base

My youngest son wanted to play baseball. “Come on, Dad!” he pleaded. “I will wear a helmet and knee pads and anything else.” I wrestled with how to answer him. My son had a considerable complication called an inhibitor. Failure to make the correct decision might cause a horrific…