The Journey to the Truth
— Meagan Earley

“Does this mean I have a disability, too?” The D-word is akin to a four-letter word in our home. We don’t like to consider Austen, my 8-year-old with Dravet syndrome, as disabled —…

Austen, my 8-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, is in the third grade this year. That means she’ll take standardized testing for the first time. That’s both good and bad. On the one hand,…

Have you ever had a dream that shook you to your core? I’m talking about a dream that seemed so real you woke up crying in the middle of the night? I did a…

When we think of the Christmas season, many traditions come to mind, such as watching holiday movies, caroling, and spending days upon days in the kitchen making sweet and decadent treats. But as with…

As a parent of three, I took many experiences with my two oldest kids for granted. But because my youngest, Austen, has Dravet syndrome, I thought many of them — like swimming on…

October 2021 was one of the hardest months of my life. My marriage was ending, and in the chaos, the only clear thought I had was that I needed to get Austen, my…

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…

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…

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.”…

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…

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 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…