Ohio native Elizabeth Hamilton felt her world flip when her younger daughter’s health unexpectedly declined. It took six hospitals in five different cities and three states to obtain the diagnosis of Friedreich’s ataxia in 2020. A licensed social worker, Elizabeth believes that relationships are a healing force, and most problems can be solved if you have the right tools and the right people. Life takes unexpected turns, so we must take a moment to reexamine where we are and recalibrate.
I looked at both my hands and scoffed. The next 30 minutes were going to be interesting. I’m an incredibly right-handed person, to the point that my left hand is pretty much just along for the ride. On this…
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“Because we cannot bend the space-time continuum?” The words rolled out of my mouth and landed with a thud in what was already an uncomfortable conversation. If you’d just walked in the room at that moment, you would’ve been…
Welp, it’s happened again. Summer has wound down and the gears of school have started to wind up. I can feel it pulling us into a new schedule that doesn’t necessarily include bowls of melting ice cream and…
I have always loved children. This feeling has been woven into so much of my life and career. When I found out that we were expecting our eldest, I bought onesies and hung them up around the entrance to…
“My mom is kinda crazy,” my daughter Amelia said with a half giggle while talking with one of her friends. If you ask me how often that’s said, my response would be “a lot.” Though sometimes the reference is…
My daughter Amelia, age 12, almost missed being diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) because of me. I think about that sometimes when I need reassurance that I’ll put Amelia’s needs before mine while navigating her medical care.
Summer is here! In our home, that means fun things like trips to the pool and sleeping in. It also requires us to constantly be careful about the temperature in our house and keep an eye out so that…
From the moment I moved out of my childhood home, traveling became a passion of mine. It wasn’t just about seeing new places or tasting unique cuisine. (Well, maybe food had a little to do with it.) It was…
I have two children who are incredibly different. One is outgoing, and one is shy. One likes to go with the flow, and the other came into this world with strong opinions. One has no known medical concerns, and…
I love to travel. Being able to pack up quickly and go is something I value. It’s also a skill I’ve fostered in both of my daughters, Katherine, 14, and Amelia, 12. They’ve been able to pack their overnight…
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