An unfortunate incident recently made waves on social media here in the Philippines, where I live, when a restaurant chain posted a dismissive, sarcastic message about fake disability IDs. The poster questioned whether 30% of its customers were truly disabled and mocked those with invisible disabilities. It also reduced…

When my youngest son, Caeleb, was 8 years old, our family went on a trip that required him to use a wheelchair at the airport. His severe hemophilia A with an inhibitor had caused persistent joint bleeds, which resulted in significant pain and limited mobility, as well as…

I’ve been busy setting up my personal website and blog lately. So far, chronic illness and disability are two of my major themes. My husband, Jared, has hemophilia and a seizure disorder, and I see him face the challenges of being disabled every day. His conditions affect our marriage, family,…

When you look at me, you’ll see a quirky, colorful, loud, and active person, yet at the same time, I am reserved. I am of average height and weight, and am known as a hiker, a cyclist, and (for very short stints) a beach jogger. I smile a…

Hemophilia takes a toll not just on the life of the individual who struggles with the disease, but also on the family unit. It is not easy to have a genetic disorder as a life focal point that does not go away. When a woman has hemophilia, it…

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?”…

It’s almost 11 in the morning. My husband Jared and I are lined up at the mall-based satellite branch of our national health insurance system. By now, the mall has been open just less than an hour, but there must be a hundred or so people already, impatiently awaiting their…