Hemophilia 24/7 - a Column by Cazandra Campos-MacDonald

I have celebrated Mother’s Day, as a mom, for 24 years. In those years I’ve experienced tremendous joy and insurmountable grief. Some of my deepest grief came right after both of my sons were born. Instead of a time filled with happiness, a cloud of despair loomed as they were…

I used to be great about determining if my now 14-year-old son Caeleb was having a bleed. Identifying the symptoms of a joint bleed was second nature to me. Swelling of the joint, warmth to the touch, redness in the area, and pain are a few of the telltale signs…

Losing family members is hard. Long-lived lives that come to an end, distance that prevents relatives from remaining close, and estrangements following family squabbles are a few ways to lose family members, and it can be devastating. Yet we manage to pick ourselves up and go on with our lives,…

If I had to define my self-quarantine in one word, it would be peace. I live in a peaceful, small, rural town. My street is quiet and my porch has a wonderful view. Three of us are at home — my husband, one of my sons, and me. My…

I can’t complain too much about my quarantine life. In my home are my husband, Joe, and 14-year-old son, Caeleb. There’s also my 14-year-old spunky, one-eyed, geriatric Corgi mix, Betty. I don’t have to worry about homeschooling little children or entertaining anyone. This is a good thing. But…

Our world is changing. Shelves are partially stocked, hugging friends is discouraged, church services are online, and we study and work remotely. We crave connection. Things will improve eventually, but that seems a lifetime away. Finding routines and things in our lives that are “normal” is not always easy,…

As an introvert, coronavirus isolation is not problematic for me. I have plenty of projects to keep me busy. My graduate schoolwork is online, and the normalcy of school has been nice during these uncertain times. I hear about people who have a hard time in isolation, and honestly, I don’t…

Fear. Millions of people are living with insane amounts of fear due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. This includes fear that the food supply will be limited, fear of catching the virus, and fear of lost income. There is a lot for our world to fear. But…

It is hard for some of the people in my community to understand why my son Caeleb struggles when he walks. Many see him as a normal 14-year-old boy who towers over me and is as goofy as the next kid. But they didn’t see him when he needed…

My 14-year-old son Caeleb is having trouble walking. Some days are better than others, but the bad days are filled with crazy pain. His right knee and ankle have sustained tremendous damage over the years from the joint bleeds that are a complication of hemophilia. His chronic…