It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I encouraged my son Caeleb to take our dog, Betty, for a walk. He gathered the necessities of a 14-year-old — headphones and music — and put Betty on her leash and off they went. Encouraging my son to be active is difficult.
Carrier moms — those whose sons or daughters have hemophilia — inspire me. I see you struggle, sometimes daily, with the realities of parenting a child who has a chronic condition. Your tireless dedication necessary to ensure a child’s safety and proper medical treatment can be challenging and…
Memories flooded my mind as I was going about my usual work today. I suddenly thought about my life before I met my husband, Jared, before my pregnancy, and before our daughter, Cittie, was born. I thought about my depression. And then I thought about our future as…
As a father of sons with hemophilia, I know my way around a hospital like the back of my hand. We have visited the emergency room far too often. An internal bleed from a fall or a spontaneous joint injury would start at home and continue to cause…
I’ve been living with chronic pain for several years. When I’m asked whether I had an accident or trauma to my neck and back, my answer is no. But I think hemophilia indirectly triggered my pain. Years ago, when my youngest son, Caeleb, was in a wheelchair, I think…
Inheritance patterns in hemophilia are a common discussion topic for many reasons. Among the reasons that people seek information about hemophilia inheritance is their desire to better understand if their future children might be at risk for inheriting the disorder. Not only do people express concern regarding their children, but…
Two members of our local hemophilia community passed away in recent weeks. My husband, Jared, knew one of them, who succumbed to an iliopsoas bleed. The other was an older member of the hemophilia organization my husband works with. He had a stroke that led to bleeding in…
We all have a story about a time when our lives changed. Some memories elicit the best of times, while others recall deep pain. For me, the day my eldest son, “MacDonald the Older,” was diagnosed with severe hemophilia proved surreal. I had no idea what a bleeding disorder…
When you are around someone day in and day out, there are things that you don’t notice. A few pounds lost, a change in mood, or even a change in their daily habits. My 14-year-old son Caeleb has endured quite a bit of trauma over the years as a result…
Editor’s note: Please be advised that the topic of suicide is addressed in this column. Resources for help are listed at the end of the column. It happens to the best of us. The alarm goes off in the morning and we do NOT want to get out…
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