In June, my firstborn son, affectionally nicknamed MacDonald the Older, will turn 26 years old. Conversations include career plans after his major milestone. He hopes to sing on Broadway and continues to get better with age. A vocalist myself, I hear his progress and believe he has an excellent…

Early in the life of our son “MacDonald the Elder,” we came face to face with one of our first major medical decisions: deciding which factor product to infuse. By the time our firstborn was 2, we had chosen our hematologist, survived a first bleed, and taken a trip…

I will never forget the first time we visited my wife’s OB-GYN following the birth of “MacDonald the Older.” It was 1996, and the world of hemophilia looked much different than it does now. Synthetic products were making their way into the market. Nightmares regarding the “hemophilia…

Special education. Those two words strike fear into the hearts of many parents. “But my son doesn’t need special ed!” I know, because I was one of those moms. When my oldest son Julian, now 22, was in elementary school, the idea of a 504 plan — based…

When you have a bleeding disorder and you are traveling, there are many things to remember. Forgetting factor or Huber needles can leave you in a bind, because these are not items that are easily found at your local drugstore. Making a list and keeping it handy, regardless…

Whenever I hear the phrase, “Knowledge is power, ” I think back to the animated children’s television show Schoolhouse Rock. I loved how fun, catchy songs taught kids how bills are passed, the preamble to the Constitution, and my favorite tune, Conjunction Junction. Every episode started with an intro stating,…