The MacDonald home celebrates this Christmas season with a little more excitement than those holidays of the not-so-distant past. My youngest son’s health is the best it’s ever been, and we are in an excellent place. We have nothing to complain about. Life is good and the business…

I am already looking forward to 2019. The first half of 2018 was not filled with joy, but fortunately, the last six months have been pretty wonderful. Part of this has been Caeleb’s new treatment with Hemlibra (emicizumab-kxwh). It has truly changed our lives. His quality of…

Special days come up: holidays, birthdays, and vacations. We take time to relax and enjoy ourselves, but there is always something staring us in the face. Needles do not care what days may be essential or ordinary. They call to our families, reminding us that hemophilia does not…

My local hemophilia organization just held its annual Christmas party. During these celebrations, we are reminded that we belong to a community that empowers, cares, and provides us with support and service. Christmas is a time for giving, showing gratitude, and spreading love. During our Christmas party, it was heartwarming…

NuFactor Specialty Pharmacy is seeking applicants for next year’s Eric Dostie Memorial College Scholarship, established 25 years ago to honor the memory of  an inspirational boy with hemophilia who died at age 5. Every year, 10 people are selected to receive the $1,000 scholarship. It is open to…

These past few days have been extremely busy for my husband Jared and me. We decided to rent a couple of commercial booths at the barangay (or district) hall for the duration of our town’s weeklong fiesta — one dry goods stall for us and one for my…

My profession as a pastor allows me to celebrate with and be a source of support to members of my church. They come to me seeking a message of hope in the worst of circumstances. And the need for peace is greater when one faces surgery. When asked,…

At this time of the year, I like to clean. Not just dusting and mopping, but also purging my home of unnecessary items. Unworn clothes, worn-out shoes, and overwhelming stacks of papers and magazines. The other important area that needs a thorough inventory is my home medical supply…

The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. It’s my favorite time of year. Family feasts, playing games, going to the movies, and watching football are some of the traditions that many of us hold dear. One Thanksgiving tradition my family keeps is that each person at the dinner table…

Today, I became my husband’s dependent — officially. A few months ago, I wrote about being ineligible for health insurance because I was already five months pregnant when I applied for it. My only option was to register as my husband’s dependent. That meant he would have to share…