Columns

My family gathered to take pictures. We drove to the Bosque, the cottonwood forest that borders the Rio Grande and runs through New Mexico. It’s a beautiful place with running water and trees. The photographer took numerous action shots, one of which brought a reality check. The photographer had us…

Second in a series. Read part one. In part one of my interview with Chip Hailey, a 75-year-old from Tennessee, we explored what led him to pursue gene therapy for hemophilia B, his lifelong journey with the condition, his hopes for a new chapter, and the road to…

Many of my recent columns have focused on my youngest son, Caeleb, and his transition into adulthood. I’ve shared how we’ve empowered him to live his best life, including lessons on taking responsibility for himself as he navigates the world. He must take the baton that we’ve handed him. We…

While riding a bus at the first hemophilia conference I attended, I met a young man who had mild hemophilia, just like me. Unlike me, he’d been diagnosed close to birth. Then he shared his factor VIII levels; shockingly, they were higher than mine. I sat in disbelief. I’d…

When my husband, Jared, was growing up, people in his community didn’t always speak kindly about mobility aids. Crutches, wheelchairs, and canes were often seen as signs of helplessness, things you turned to only when you’d run out of options. That perception stayed with him well into adulthood. He did…

First in a series. Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to receive gene therapy? I know I have. So when I had the chance to interview 75-year-old Chip Hailey of Tennessee — one of the participants in a clinical trial for Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec), the first…

Last week I traveled to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to spend a few days with my wife, Cazandra. She works as a hospice chaplain there and usually travels back to Belen, our current home, on weekends. We’ll end this busy commute schedule next month, when we both move full…

My household is navigating a season of major change. As the family of a frequently relocating pastor, we’ve honed our adaptability, mastering the rhythm of moving with grace and resilience. This summer we’ll exhibit that adaptability again as my husband moves to a new appointment in Las Cruces, New…

Plan D. That’s what I’m working on now. Last week, I learned that a factor VIII (FVIII) product I’m taking for my hemophilia has had some disappointing results. I can’t say I’m surprised about that, as I had a negative reaction to the medication, including feeling lightheaded and…

My husband, Jared, has been performing his factor infusions for his hemophilia B for over three years now. In that span of time, he’s learned so much — not just about veins, syringes, and technique, but also about his body and his limits. Infusing factor IX has become…