Columns

Thank You, Colorado

In June 2016, I packed up my home in Texas, my three children, and my entire life, and moved 752 miles away to Colorado in search of hope. Hope that we could delay putting my youngest daughter, Austen, on another serious anti-epileptic drug to treat her worsening seizures, caused by…

Overcoming My Fears to Give My Kids a Better Life

Our lives are changing, and this time, it isn’t due to the effects of Dravet syndrome. I have mostly been a stay-at-home mom for the last 11 years. I have a degree in elementary education, but when we had our second child, Atlas, who is now 7, I figured I…

Finding Peace When My World Is Upside-down

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. An entire day dedicated to food? That’s right up my alley. Usually, we stay home in Colorado to cook and relax as a nuclear family, and our day is sprinkled with phone calls from family in Texas to wish us well…

After 20 Months, One Down, Two to Go

After 20 months, the kids are returning to school. One of them, anyway. Originally, we were going to wait until all three kids had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before we allowed any of them to return to school. But Addi, 13, has…

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I’m the only person on my block who has their Christmas tree up, and I have zero shame about that. Usually, it goes up on Nov. 1, but this year, I managed to wait until the 4th to get my decorations out. The reason is that I hate November, a…

One Step Forward, Another Step Backward

Austen, my 6-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, went to the neurologist at the end of September. It was the first time we’ve seen her in the office since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The appointment went smoothly, and Austen barely cried during her lab work. We were so excited when…