Joe is the father of two sons with hemophilia. He and his wife, Cazandra, are active members in the bleeding disorders community and often facilitate workshops both locally and nationally. Joe is a pastor in the United Methodist Church and writes a blog about spirituality and faith. You may follow his blog at www.joekmac.com.As I sat in my chair at home, I heard Julian, who’s 29 and my oldest son, singing at the top of his lungs. Every note floated higher as if it would touch the clouds. My thoughts were interrupted, but I welcomed his sound, which fills my soul. Julian expresses…
My youngest son, Caeleb, came to the table the other day with a massive grin on his face. “Guess what?” he said. “I just received an email from housing at the University of New Mexico [UNM], confirming that I have a dorm room for the school year. Can you believe…
In my years of discussing my sons’ bleeding disorders here, I too have had a hereditary disorder: essential tremors, which I inherited from my mother’s side of the family. While my disorder isn’t life-threatening, several factors seem eerily similar to my sons’ struggles with hemophilia. My tremors don’t…
We received some unexpected news this week from the University of New Mexico, where our youngest son, Caeleb, is a rising sophomore. Although we had thought he’d be able to move into a dormitory on campus this fall, it appears he’s still on a waiting list, and the chances…
To say my youngest son, Caeleb, is excited to start his second year at the University of New Mexico is an understatement. He lived at home during his freshman year, but next month, he’ll move into a dormitory. He can’t wait to spread his wings and live on his own(ish).
Caeleb, my youngest son, is 19 and preparing for his second year of college at the University of New Mexico. He’s experiencing an issue at school that required him to write a letter explaining the difficulties he faced because of hemophilia during his freshman year. As a child, he…
Last in a series. Read parts one and two. After our oldest son, Julian, was born and we took him home, the first six months went smoothly. His hemophilia diagnosis came up occasionally, but it didn’t directly affect our quality of life. We later learned that those early…
Second in a series. Read part one. The birth of our oldest son, Julian, was a milestone event in our lives. After all the excitement and drama of that stormy June evening in 1996, things calmed down for the rest of the night. My wife, Cazandra, rested in her…
First in a series. My story starts on a hot and humid night in June 1996 in Houston. As my wife, Cazandra, and I entered the hospital, we couldn’t help but notice the storm gathering outside. We approached the check-in counter, and I explained to the attendant that…
My wife, Cazandra, and I had a brief discussion as we continued packing what seemed like a million boxes for our move from Rio Communities, which is near Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Las Cruces, about 200 miles south. Between the phrases “That goes there” and “Put that box in that…
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