The Journey to the Truth
— Meagan Cheney

When Austen, my 8-year-old with Dravet syndrome, was born, I’d been married for almost five years. My relationship was already rocky by then, but I was determined I wouldn’t let it fail. I’d grown up in a broken…

As I was driving recently, I noticed the leaves were starting to turn. Here in Texas, it’s because of the drought rather than seasonal changes. But it still reminded me that fall isn’t too far off, with the start…

Author Kellie Elmore has a great quote I find fitting for my family at the start of summer: “I love how summer just wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket.” As a teacher and single…

When Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, was born, I had no idea that the disease existed, much less that it was embedded in my perfect baby’s DNA. Even when she began experiencing seizures, the next…

Last Monday, we skipped soccer practice for Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome. Soccer is a regular part of her routine. No one was sick, and the weather was nice. But I was exhausted, and all…

I wrote in my last column about how I have to allow life with Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, to ebb and flow in keeping with her needs. This demand often requires me to put…

Jay-Z once said, “Don’t ever go with the flow. Be the flow.” And while I love Hov and his music as much as any self-respecting ’90s kid, that advice doesn’t always work when your child has special…

Not long ago, I wrote a column about how Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, was doing in her new school. She’s gone through a lot of changes in the past year, including her parents splitting…

Back in November, I wrote about my 7-year-old daughter’s great accomplishment. Austen, who lives with Dravet syndrome, had set a new seizure-free record that seemed to be holding strong. But as it did last March, the flu…

When Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, was born, I didn’t have many things in her life planned out yet. I didn’t know what school she would go to, what sports I would put her in, or…

In August, Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, started a new school for the second time this year. When we moved to Texas from Colorado last winter, I put my children into the schools in our…