My seventh-grade son, Caeleb, is the new kid in a small, rural community where everyone has grown up together, so it’s hard to fit in and make friends. He comes home most days with a tale of mistreatment or insensitive comments directed at him. It breaks my heart,…
Hemophilia 24/7
— Cazandra Campos-MacDonald
Rev. Cazandra Campos-MacDonald is a pastor, author, motivational speaker, and encourager. She lives in New Mexico with her husband, Rev. Dr. Joe MacDonald, and youngest son, Caeleb. Their adult son, Julian, is living the bohemian life of a starving artist and goes wherever there is an audition. Her sons live with severe hemophilia A and inhibitors. Her older brother died shortly after birth due to complications from hemophilia. Cazandra writes candidly of raising two sons with a rare bleeding disorder. She believes storytelling is about redeeming the journey and connecting with others.
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A symphony is a long musical piece with a clear structure, traditionally divided into four sections called movements. Each has its own tempo, mood, and rhythm. The pauses between them give the audience time to take in each part. Usually, the first movement is fast and lively. Then comes a…
Perhaps the most important lesson we learn at school is to keep our hands and feet to ourselves. I have thought about this rule every time my sons have complained about an incident at school. I remember my kindergarten teacher, Miss Paula, teaching my class that lesson. Best.
My mighty warrior Caeleb is 12 years old and officially an inch taller than me. Every day he stands next to me, checking to see if that inch has stretched. I watch him from my office window, playing with his friends on the street; amazingly, he is turning…
I loved watching the Harry Potter movies with my sons, especially the earlier ones where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were much younger. The magic and wonder of wizards and Quidditch were fun to imagine. I especially liked Harry’s invisibility cloak. “Mom,” my son said, “wouldn’t that be cool?”…
There is a funny cartoon making the Facebook rounds. It shows two images, one for “normal parents” and the other for “medical field parents.” The normal parents’ side has a duck dressed as a doctor and a mama duck holding her baby up, saying, “He sneezed! Help…
I have suffered from clinical depression most of my life. Five weeks after my eldest son was born over 22 years ago and diagnosed with hemophilia, my mom passed away. It was not a good time. I had planned on taking maternity leave until after Labor Day, but…
Wash your hair. Brush your teeth. Please, for the sake of the world, put on deodorant! Hundreds of times I have given those commands to my sons. Well, not so much “commands” as directives. I know I taught them basic hygiene at a young age, but why is it…
I get many opportunities to travel across the country to speak with families affected by bleeding disorders. Everywhere I go, I see familiar faces — faces that bring me great joy. There are lots of hugs, and each smile warms my heart. My talks change from event to…
My eldest son, Julian, is 22. He is studying music at college. It’s his passion, and as I have a music education degree and my husband has a music degree, his course choice did not come as a surprise. With our recent move, Julian changed schools, and his…
I met with my mighty warrior’s new principal and school nurse last week. I took my presentation, and thanks to the Hemophilia Federation of America, I was ready to teach and answer questions. Most importantly, I wanted these individuals to feel at ease and not scared of my son.
Caeleb is super excited about starting the seventh grade this week. He loves the new town we are living in and is hopeful for the school year. He wants to play basketball. Now, most people would say that is a normal thing for a 12-year-old boy to want…
Having a bleeding disorder can be frightening. In the beginning, it is normal to think about the what-ifs when you’re unsure of what to expect. “What if I don’t know the signs and symptoms of a bleed? What if I never learn how to infuse my child? What…
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