Staying Connected

In this episode of Staying Connected, we talk to Maya Brown-Zimmerman, who was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome as a child. Because of her atypical features and medical events, her diagnosis was questioned several times and she was tested for VEDS and Loeys-Dietz before a genetic test revealed she does have an FBN1 mutation, associated with Marfan syndrome. In this episode, she shares her story with...

In this episode of Staying Connected, we talk to Ashton Tanner, who was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) about a year ago after a spontaneous coronary artery dissection, or SCAD, and her mother’s medical event a few weeks prior led to some puzzle pieces finally coming together. Find more information about VEDS, including support groups and medical webinars, at https://TheVEDSM...

The voices you’ll hear in the upcoming season of Staying Connected, featuring community members who will be sharing their stories with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS), Marfan syndrome, and Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Episodes available every other Saturday starting July 1, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can support this podcast by subscribing to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/T...

Elissa Hanneman was initially misdiagnosed with Classical Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (CEDS) as a child, but a colon perforation during her pregnancy prompted genetic testing for Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS). Years after her diagnosis, Elissa lost all of her intestines in a two-year hospital stay due to complications from VEDS. Please be advised that in this episode, we discuss suicide a...

Maria Vowles and Mandy Carpenter, who lost their daughter, Andie, to Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) and founded Adventuresinlove4Andie, join to talk about Andie’s story. In this interview, we will talk about Andie’s diagnosis of VEDS, what happened to her, and what Maria and Mandy have done with Adventuresinlove4Andie to raise awareness and support for VEDS.  Please be advised t...

Part 2 of a two-part interview featuring Chris Schelling, CEO and Founder of Acer Therapeutics, and Dr. Adrian Quartel, Chief Medical Officer of Acer Therapeutics. In this episode, Adrian joins to discuss the details of the DiSCOVER trial, a clinical trial for Edsivo enrolling people with VEDS  (Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) in the United States.  Learn more about the DiSCOVER Trial a...

Part 1 of a two-part interview featuring Chris Schelling, CEO and Founder of Acer Therapeutics, and Dr. Adrian Quartel, Chief Medical Officer of Acer Therapeutics. In this episode, Chris joins to discuss the history of Edsivo, or celiprolol, and the DiSCOVER trial, a clinical trial for Edsivo enrolling people with VEDS  (Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) in the United States.  Learn more...

Jared Griffin, CEO and Founder of Annabelle’s Challenge, shares his experience with getting his daughter’s diagnosis of Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS), and experience starting Annabelle’s Challenge, a UK Charity for VEDS, more than 10 years ago. Learn more about VEDS and Annabelle’s Challenge at https://www.annabelleschallenge.org/ Find more information about VEDS, including support groups...

Today we hear from a previous guest, Emily Ranta, who was on the show in 2018. In this episode, she’ll share her experience with a bowel perforation and how her life with VEDS has been since her last interview. Find more information about VEDS, including support groups and medical webinars, at https://TheVEDSMovement.org .  If you would like to share your story with VEDS on this podcast, visi...

Today we are gong to hear from Toni Harrison, who was initially diagnosed with hypermobile EDS. After an event, she received genetic testing that showed she actually has VEDS. In this episode, she is going to share her experience and how her VEDS diagnosis impacts her life.  Find more information about VEDS, including support groups and medical webinars, at https://TheVEDSMovement.org . ...

Today we are gong to hear from a member of our community in the UK, Clare Stacey, who was diagnosed with VEDS following her mother’s death when Clare was 14 years old. In the episode, she is going to share how her understanding of and interaction with her VEDS diagnosis has changed as she has gotten older and dealt with medical events of her own.  Find more information about VEDS, including s...

Clips from the upcoming season of Staying Connected, available on March 25 wherever you listen to podcasts. You can support this podcast by subscribing to my Patreon at  https://www.patreon.com/Translucentone Thank you all my patrons for supporting the show, and extra thanks to my top-tier Connected Patrons: Jon Holtom Kacey Keegan The views, information or opinions in the blog, podcast, and...

Over the last few seasons of Staying Connected, I’ve asked some of our community members living with or caring for loved ones with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) what they think medical professionals should know about VEDS. This special episode is a compilation of some of those responses. There are several organizations providing information and support for people affected by VEDS an...

Katy’s husband, Mike, and her son were diagnosed with VEDS in 2020. In this episode, Katy shares her perspective as a spouse and a mom of loved ones with this condition.  These episode show notes will be updated with a link to the kids book, “Wonderfully Made,” once it is available on Kindle. Find more … Continue reading Katy DeCoursey

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk to Kelly Gann, who was diagnosed with VEDS in 2009, when she was in Physician Assistant (PA) school. Kelly shares how she coped with that diagnosis, how her life has changed since then, and how her experience has changed now that her sister, Cristy, has also been diagnosed.   … Continue reading Kelly Gann

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk to Tyler Farley, who was diagnosed with VEDS following a bowel perforation when he was 17. The VEDS diagnosis explained many things for Tyler, including the early death of his father, but also was a really challenging diagnosis to get when he was about to go into college.  … Continue reading Tyler Farley

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk to Samantha Arche, who was diagnosed with VEDS following a uterine rupture during the delivery of her second child. Samantha was concerned that she might have VEDS prior to this, but struggled to get genetic testing.  In the episode I mentioned the prior interview with Meg Boeglin, which … Continue reading Samantha Arche

Cristy Gann was diagnosed with VEDS after her son Hunter died of an aortic dissection last year, in September of 2021. Hunter was only 14 years old. In this interview, Cristy shares what happened to Hunter, signs of VEDS that were missed in both her and Hunter, and how she is handling her own diagnosis. … Continue reading Cristy Gann

In today’s episode, we’re going to touch base with Jeremias Tays, who was on the podcast back in 2019. He’s going to share his experience and insights over the last three years, as well as his experience with a bowel perforation that occurred in November 2021. The original interview with Jeremias in 2019 can be … Continue reading Follow-up with Jeremias Tays

Sarah Fulop was diagnosed with VEDS, or vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, after her sister died from complications following a pregnancy. Her brother also died of an aortic dissection at age 15, when she was about 3 years old. While her family is in some ways the textbook case of VEDS, they inherited the condition through a … Continue reading Sarah Fulop

This season we are going to talk to 7 members of our community about their stories and experiences with VEDS. We’ll hear from several people who have a VEDS diagnosis themselves, including a mom who lost her son to VEDS last year, as well as a spouse and mom of people with VEDS. We also … Continue reading Trailer: Season 4

Dr. Shaine Morris, pediatric cardiologist and researcher at Texas Children’s Hospital, and advocate for our VEDS community, shares how she got involved with the VEDS community and talks about her current research, the CLARITY registry. To enroll or get more information about the CLARITY study mentioned in this podcast, email Shaine’s research coordinator, Nadia, at … Continue reading Dr. Shaine Mo...

Charlene’s son, Luke, was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) at the age of 4, after persistent issues with bruising and bleeding led to a hematologist and a diagnosis of Von Willebrand’s at 2 years old, and then later, a rheumatologist who sent him to a genetic counselor who recognized VEDS at 4 years old. … Continue reading Charlene Terrell-Newman and Luke

Dominick Corso was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) at the age of 44, after a sudden medical emergency that identified three aneurysms: two iliac artery aneurysms and an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This event led to his doctors suspecting a connective tissue condition and sending him to a geneticist who ultimately diagnosed him with VEDS.  … Continue reading Dominick Corso

Grace Ehrbar was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, or VEDS, at 12 years old after a spontaneous bowel perforation. She is the only person in her family with VEDS. In this episode, Grace shares her experience with the bowel perforation when she was 12, as well as how her knowledge and attitude towards VEDS has … Continue reading Grace Ehrbar