“My son has Phelan-McDermid Syndrome,” (PMS) I declared as the nurse asked if my son had any pre-existing conditions. “What was that?” she asked as many have before her and many after her will as well. “It’s a genetic deletion,” I began as I always do, “it might be easier just to write down 22q13.33 deletion syndrome,” has become my default as many in the medical field may understand chromosomes better. However, they still have no idea what those numbers
We left the house exactly as scheduled, which in itself was a miracle, arriving as requested 30 minutes prior for check-in at the hospital. Everything was going smoothly thanks to pre-check-in via the phone, and we were sitting in the radiology waiting room a full 10 minutes early. Our appointment was for 8:00 am, and I thought, man, we might be out of here by 9 o’clock. Before I get too deep into this story, let me tell you a
Community Submission by: EllieEllie is a lawyer living in Baltimore with her husband Mark. They are parents to six year old Molly and two year old Lila, who has Lamb-Shaffer Syndrome. To follow her story, sign up for Ellie’s newsletter. To the mother of the two year old, worrying about whether to have a second baby… I see you. I see how worried you are, about having a second kid and what if that child isn’t healthy? What if they
The best advice is the advice you want to share. Let me pass on to you what someone said to me once. Someone said, “you got this, momma. Trust your momma gut!” I don’t think I was even barely a mother at that point. I, like so many other parents, was looking around for help to a problem. Let me tell you why trusting your gut is the best advice you can be given, even when you feel they aren’t
When I heard the word “advocate” for the first time, I assumed it was very political. I am not political, I reasoned, so therefore I couldn’t be an advocate. Yes, I vote–but running for office is not in my future (although I have learned never to say never). Little did I know that being an advocate was not limited to politics. It is so much more. It is giving a voice to the voiceless, or those who are barely heard.
