Our family took a recent trip to White Sands, New Mexico. The dunes were amazing. I had thought that my feet would burn due to the heat. However, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that the sand was cold. I enjoyed walking barefoot as we climbed to the top of…
In the Twinkling of an Eye
— Joe MacDonald
Rev. Dr. Joe K. MacDonald is a pastor in the New Mexico Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Cazandra, live in Belen, New Mexico, along with their youngest son, Caeleb, and two fur babies, Laggie and Hildie. Both of Joe’s sons (the oldest is Julian) have severe hemophilia A, factor VIII deficiency. Julian was diagnosed in 1996 and Caeleb in 2006. Joe serves on the Board of the Sangre de Oro Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation. Joe’s goal is to help his sons and others in the community use their voices to help improve the quality of life for those with bleeding disorders.
Featured Post
Second in a series. Read part one. Both of my sons were diagnosed with severe hemophilia A a few days after they were born. But that’s where their similarities end. As I shared last week, things went smoothly after we switched to a more flexible way of caring…
A name is not mere letters on paper or a screen, but a way to proclaim our existence. What we call ourselves lets the world know who we are. My name, Joe Keith, comes from my great-uncle (my grandfather’s brother). I take a great deal of pride in carrying on…
Having a family member admitted to the hospital throws the entire family’s routine into absolute chaos. We lose our control of time, as well as our privacy. While it is great to see a friend or to hear good news from the medical staff, we are unable to dictate…
One of the best things about my relationship with my wife is our team approach to difficult circumstances stemming from hemophilia. I tend to remain calm at the beginning of a problem, while she is active toward the end. Our responses mostly happen automatically, like clockwork. We are grateful…
My oldest son will be moving out of the house in a few weeks to rent an apartment with a good friend of his. My mind continues to bring light to the fact that he is 22 years old. It is time for him to spread his wings and leave…
Recently, I discussed an issue with several men with whom I meet on Monday mornings. We talk about various topics, and that morning’s conversation centered around the idea of forgiveness. For a healthier life, we must let go of resentments and embrace change. Only through surrendering our pain can…
A few years ago, “MacDonald the Younger,” his mom, and I went to his yearly checkup with the Hemophilia Treatment Center to review our road map (healthcare chart), report on activities, and make sure that he was taking the correct dose of product for his height and…
February 2014 was a significant time in the life of my family. For years we saw our younger son regularly suffer bleed after bleed. He suffered from an inhibitor and an allergy to factor. Nothing seemed to help. We felt lost and unsure about how to continue seeking…
My wife and I learned early to be careful when discussing the struggles we share in caregiving. Sometimes we get tired and want to complain, but we must remember that our children hear and see us. If we say something in total frustration, our children might blame themselves…
So, we are in the car. Everyone is in their respective seats. We are all looking forward to our vacation. The car is filled with suitcases and excitement. Then, I hear the dreaded sentence from my youngest boy: “Daddy, my leg hurts.” My wife and I look at…
Every family speaks their own language. Mine certainly does. It is like a secret code that is unbreakable outside of our house, used to inform family members how we feel about an issue or event. It is done so subtly that no one else is aware of the information…
In past columns, I discussed my frustrations when anger rears its ugly head out of the shadows of my consciousness and takes hold of me. It isn’t pretty, nor is it the best choice to make. I wasn’t prepared to handle the overwhelming emotions that came over…
Explore More Columns
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion