Being Rare Podcast

In this episode of the Being Rare Podcast, host Sarita Edwards sits down with Michael Mantz, a business owner, writer, and advocate living with Ataxia SCA15, a rare and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. From his forthcoming memoir to building a community that celebrates resilience, this conversation is all about showing up authentically, even when life feels unsteady. Through his blog and ne...

In this episode, Sarita sits down with Royce Robertson—a husband, father, patient, and advocate. Royce shares his personal journey of being misdiagnosed and nearly undergoing a critical procedure before discovering he had cardiac sarcoidosis, a condition many healthcare providers still know little about. Royce started cycling to raise awareness and push for equitable healthcare access for all fami...

In this episode, Sarita is joined by Jenifer Waldrop, Executive Director of the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC), to discuss the Inequities in the Rare Disease Community Report completed in partnership with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). This research involved over 2,800 participants and sheds light on the barriers faced by underrepresented patients with rare diseases....

In this episode of the Being Rare Podcast, Sarita sits down with James Griffin and Genesis Jones, patient advocates and authors. We're talking about navigating life with sickle cell, healthcare bias, stigma, and more! The books mentioned in this episode can be found on Amazon. Direct links are below. Breaking Silence: Living with Sickle Cell Anemia by James Griffin III https://a.co/d/3znpc3s R...

In this episode of the Being Rare Podcast, Sarita sits down with NASM certified trainer and professional bodybuilder, Coach Jeff Benton to talk about the value of prioritizing self care into your daily routine. Interested in personal training or coaching? In-person and virtual options available. Personal instruction. Nutrition monitoring. One-on-one or group. Bodybuilding contest prep and coaching...

In this episode, Sarita shares how self care became a forced priority. A planned medical procedure uncovered a near death health episode. Tune in to hear how Sarita transformed her health and changed her life. Watch the live recording: https://youtu.be/B9LKxNeZgq0

In this Being Rare Podcast episode, Sarita is joined by Dr. Shane' Jackson, a wife, mom, minister, youth director, and two-time author to talk about transitioning from childhood to adulthood while navigating a medically complex diagnosis. Dr. Jackson's new book “A JOURNEY TO BEING” SAVED. HEALED. EVOLVING.: 30 DAYS OF DEVOTIONAL IMPARTATION is available for purchase on Amazon.

In this episode, Sarita is joined by her daughter Rian to talk about their 2025 ins and outs, being rare edition! Listen in to hear what they're leaving in 2024 and all that's welcomed in 2025.

In this episode, Sarita talks about - spending Saturday at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL supporting the Myositis Moonwalk - Mother's Day happening Sunday, May 12 - May being Mental Health Awareness Month - the E.WE Foundation's new Mental Health Training and Certification Program- the return of One Minute Mondays - and the passing of the Zachary Thomas Newborn Screening...

In this episode, Sarita talks about black maternal health and child abuse neglect and prevention. April 11-17 is Black Maternal Health Week. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. The month of April is dedicated to Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Children with disabilities are at least three times more likely to be abused or neglected th...

In this episode of the Being Rare Podcast, Sarita kicks off the conversation celebrating the E.WE Foundation's 5th year anniversary and why she and her husband Kareem decided to establish the foundation, which leads into the challenges of micro-small nonprofit funding. Sarita shares the Trisomy 18 Newborn Screening Participation Research Survey hosted by the E.WE Foundation and led by student...

There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about Trisomy 18 and its impact on unborn babies and pregnant moms. In this episode, Sarita challenges the fatal narrative and shares statistics about pregnancy-related deaths. Sarita also sits down with Kira Dineen, prenatal genetic counselor and genetics podcaster at DNA Today to discuss the information being shared with families who receive a d...

Trisomy Awareness Month & Women's History Month Sarita Edwards, the host of the Being Rare Podcast, welcomes listeners to a special episode dedicated to Trisomy Awareness Month and Women's History Month. She shares the significance of March as a month to raise awareness about Trisomy conditions, particularly Trisomy 18, and highlights the theme of Women's History Month: Women Who A...

This episode of the Being Rare Podcast is filled with laughter! Listen in as Sarita and her husband, Kareem talk about navigating the holiday season and kicking off another new year! Watch on YouTube! https://buff.ly/42fK81f

#happynewyear #podcast #update In this episode of the Being Rare Podcast Sarita shares new fitness goals, a holiday snippet, and an announcement about an upcoming episode.

The holiday hustle might not align with our individual health care needs. In this mini episode Sarita shares a few tips that might help with navigating the holiday season. Don't forget to subscribe to Being Rare Podcast and follow along wherever you listen to your podcasts.

In this Being Rare Podcast episode Sarita talks about grief and how it can unexpectedly overwhelm you.

October is Know Your Family History Month. Being Rare Podcast host Sarita Edwards is joined by today's co-hosts Jasmine Hightower and Hana Faulds to discuss the importance of knowing family health history and how medical diagnoses can impact generational health legacy. Connect with our hosts by visiting youtube.com/@theewefoundation/podcasts! Watch the live recording on YouTube! Find more episodes...

In this episode Sarita is joined by Swapna Kakani, Jasmine Hightower, and briefly by Brooke Thomas to talk about newborn screening, state advocacy, and the impact NBS has on babies and their parents. *Due to external technical difficulties Brooke's audio and video did not record to this episode. There is a brief moment of silence.

Who's responsible for providing parents newborn screening information and when should they do it? This episode of the Being Rare Podcast is about the importance of parent education with regard to newborn screening and what it means for newborns and their parents.

Today's One Minute Monday is about 9/11. As we celebrate my husband's birthday, we recognize how difficult today is for so many others! We're thinking of you!

This Being Rare Podcast episode is continuing the conversation about newborn screening and how The Edwards did not receive the screening test for their son, Elijah.

September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month! In this Being Rare Podcast episode, Sarita talks about the healthcare system refusing them newborn screening for their newborn.

This One Minute Monday is about peer support. We hosted our first virtual peer support group a few days ago. Listen to 60 seconds of Being Rare to hear how it went.

In this Being Rare Podcast episode Sarita talks about an experience they had at a local church's kid zone. Tune in to hear what happened!