Columns

In the marketing world, we have a concept called the elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator, hence the name. The goal of an elevator pitch is to quickly and effectively communicate a person’s ideas, product, or…

Last week, I discussed the unfortunate series of events that led my wife and youngest son, Caeleb, to check into Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston because of a bleeding episode. Caeleb, it turned out, had a high-titer inhibitor that prevented clotting from occurring, even with the help…

I have fond memories of my dad sitting at the kitchen table on Sunday mornings. After attending church, he read the newspaper while the radio played his favorite Tejano music. He always read articles to my mom as they sat together, enjoying the morning. The crisp newspaper would buckle as…

Hello, hiring managers and human resources (HR) professionals! I’m writing this column to you, as the spouse of a person with disability (PWD). My husband, Jared, has severe hemophilia B and a seizure disorder, and we worked together at the same company for a year. I’ve also seen him…

As a person with von Willebrand disease (VWD) and hemophilia, bruises have been a near-constant presence in my life. VWD and hemophilia are bleeding disorders that affect the body’s ability to form blood clots and stop bleeding. Both can cause spontaneous and excessive bleeding, including bruising, heavy…

When my youngest son, Caeleb, now 17, was 11 months old, he had a bleeding episode that shook us to our core. We’d recently moved to New Mexico from Houston and didn’t yet know our new medical team. Because my wife, Cazandra, had promised to play oboe at…

After worship on Sunday, the church I serve as pastor has a fellowship hour, when everyone comes together, enjoys coffee and snacks, and visits with one another. It’s a beautiful time and a great way to start the week. Snacks and goodies are a treat — and then there’s the…

I’ve learned to expect the unexpected when dealing with my bleeding disorders. A few days ago, I took a bike ride with my twin nephews who were visiting from Wisconsin. My small city of Punta Gorda, Florida, has a great bike loaner program. Bicycles, tricycles, and handcycles are available…

Given all the mass shootings, economic uncertainty, and contentious political discourse happening in the United States right now, it’s easy to see that our country is in a state of chaos. Yet, I continue to draw hope from the words of Maya Angelou: “When you know better, do…

One of my favorite programs is CBS “Sunday Morning,” which my husband and I record and watch on Sunday afternoons. One of its recent stories brought me to tears. At Glen Lake Elementary in Hopkins, Minnesota, several students have physical disabilities. The children in Betsy Julien’s fifth grade class…