Once Upon A Gene

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 136 The Value of Intensive Therapy for Kids with Disabilities with Jessie Cline and Erin Garrison of Climb Intensive Pediatric Therapy Jessie Cline is the Founder of Climb Intensive Pediatric Therapy and Erin Garrison is a Physical Therapist. Sometimes when you need something done (or always in the world of rare disease) you have to do it yourself. Together, Jessie and E...

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 135 A Rare Collection - Up at Night There's power in storytelling- for the listener and the storyteller. A Rare Collection is a monthly series featuring people from the rare disease community, sharing a story with a common theme.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Mike Gralia, Dad to Tony and Founder of the Syngap Research Fund Mike recalls the nights insomnia kept him awake, looking a...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 134 The Critical Role of Newborn Screening - Rare Mom Alison Breitbarth and Infantile Pompe Disease Alison Breitbarth's son was the first baby in the state of Indiana to be screened for Pompe Disease and receive a positive result. She joins me to talk about the importance of newborn screening. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Where does your diagnosis journey begin? Ten days after my...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 132 Rare Disease Caregiving Post Childhood with Rare Mom and Advocate Karen McEwen Karen McEwen has an 18 year old daughter with laryngeal cleft primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Her and her daughter have been active advocates through speaking, writing and support groups. They're also fundraising for the PCD Foundation and working to get a PCD clinic at major hospitals i...

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 131 Kelley Coleman - Author of You will Feel Better - A Guidebook for Rare Disease Parents Kelley Coleman is a mom and writer who is creating a series of books and other helpful resources for parents who are raising kids with disabilities. Be sure to tune in if you've been thinking about adding a service dog to your family because Kelley shares her experience of growing...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 130 A Rare Collection - Penny for your Thoughts There's power in storytelling- for the listener and the storyteller. A Rare Collection is a monthly series featuring people from the rare disease community, sharing a story with a common theme.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Drie Barr, Physical Therapist A physical therapist is a movement therapist, an expert in body mechanics, moveme...

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 129 Self Care for Your Healthcare with Ehlers Danlos Patient and Ms. Wheelchair Washington USA - Sarah Tompkins Ms. Wheelchair Washington USA 2022, Sarah Tompkins has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), she does extensive rare disease advocacy work, and centers her messaging around her slogan- practice self care for your healthcare.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Tell us about your EDS j...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 128 Sisters’ Hope Foundation President and Founder Heidi Edwards on Recognizing ALSP Symptoms and the Importance of Genetic Testing Heidi Edwards, President and Founder of Sisters’ Hope Foundation, has a family history of adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP). She's on a mission through the work of Sisters’ Hope Foundation to adv...

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 127 Building a Different Kind of Motherhood Experience Than We Had Anticipated with CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder Mom and Founder of Art For Hope Love Cure, Marissa Bishop Marissa Bishop's son Gregory was born with CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD), a rare neurological disease that causes a variety of symptoms including seizures and cortical visual impairment. Marissa is a boa...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 126 A Rare Collection - Unexpected Findings There's power in storytelling- for the listener and the storyteller. A Rare Collection is a monthly series featuring people from the rare disease community, sharing a story with a common theme.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Katheron Intson Katheron started her PhD in basic neuroscience as a learning and memory researcher. She shares her...

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 125 A Very Rare and Very Real Adventure with DeSanto-Shinawi Syndrome Mom and Author of a Very Rare Adventure - Katie Lloyd Katie Lloyd is a mama to Kasper, who has a rare genetic disorder called DeSanto-Shinawi syndrome and she's joining me to talk about postpartum depression and mental health. Be sure to check out her blog, A Very Rare Adventure. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Can...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 124 Adapting and Collaborating to Help Bring a Cure to GSD1B with Sophie's Hope Foundation Founder and Dadvocate Jamas LaFreniere Jamas LaFreniere is the rad dad to Sophie, who has an ultra-rare glycogen storage disease called GSD1B. He’s also the founder of Sophie’s Hope Foundation and CureGSD1b.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Tell us about Sophie's diagnosis and the foundation yo...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 122 A Rare Collection - This is Us There's power in storytelling- for the listener and the storyteller. A Rare Collection is a monthly series featuring people from the rare disease community, sharing a story with a common theme.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Because of You Heather shares all the ways that she and her family are reminded of the bigger, more deeper meanings of life...

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 121 How the Caregivers Mental Health and Physical Well-Being are Impacted Right Alongside Our Rare Disease Kiddos with Advocate and Co-Founder of Hello Sleuth - Sehreen Noor Ali Sehreen Noor Ali is the Co-Founder of Sleuth, a website that compiles stories and information from rare disease parents. It's a smart technology designed to identify resources, solutions and cure...

Intro music by Scott Holmes

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 120 What Happens Now - Baby Boy is a Medical Miracle After Being Treated for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 with Kathryn Alexander Kathryn Alexander joins me for a part two segment to further discuss her unique rare disease experience. Through newborn screening, her son Connor was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). It's one of the five percent of rare diseases...

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 119 One of the Youngest Children to be Given Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy I with Kathryn Alexander Kathryn Alexander is the mother of three kids and her rare disease story starts when she gave birth to twins and a newborn screening on her son came back positive for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). It's one of the five percent of rare diseases that has a treatment...