On Jan. 31, I visited the former Supreme Court Foyer at the National Gallery Singapore (NGS) for the final Artsplaining session of Light to Night Singapore 2026. NGS is a leading visual arts museum with the largest collection of Southeast Asian modern art. Artsplaining is its program designed…
Columns
I was born in March 1988 with the umbilical cord wrapped around my ankles three times. My heart rate dropped to zero, and the doctors had to do an emergency cesarean section to save me. I still reached all my milestones like a normal baby. When I was 6 years…
It’s been a busy couple of weeks. There have been lots of appointments and activities, and I’ve been busy running errands around town. I live in a rural community in south central Nebraska. It’s small enough that, no matter where I go, I run into someone I know. I also…
Pittsburgh, where I now live, receives far less annual snowfall than Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where my wife, Wendy, and I lived for 41 years. Shanksville, in Somerset County, sits squarely in the state’s snow belt. However, every so often, Pittsburgh experiences true winter weather, with bitter cold and significant snowfall. Just…
We all have bad days, but hopefully they are few and far between. Bad days can overwhelm, dampen your spirit, and leave you feeling angry, sad, or depressed. You may need to take a break from whatever has caused them. First, let me clarify that I am talking about bumps…
When the germs of cold and flu season find their way into the Vertin household, they crash our party of nine, and no one is spared. A cold or flu can be especially dangerous for my three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — Max, Rowen, and Charlie…
In my previous column, I shared my experience of stepping away from performing in my own play, “The Other Side,” and trusting that the work could continue without me at its center. This column picks up where the last left off: the moment the play met its audience, and…
After my muscular dystrophy diagnosis in August 1985, I thought I could hide my symptoms from my friends at school. When I started seventh grade a few weeks later, I was in a new building with kids from all over town, not just my neighborhood. I was determined not…
I type my columns on Tuesdays, but I write them in my head in the days before. I consider what to write, how to begin, and the words to use to share my life experiences. My family is fun, and my columns often reflect that, to show the lessons I’ve…
In my previous column, I shared my concern about losing more strength due to the progression of my facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). This loss was making it increasingly difficult for me to get out of my friend Richard’s Subaru. Richard, who is also a musician, not only drives…
Recent Posts
- How art fosters a sense of belonging in my life with Duchenne
- 1st boys dosed in Phase 2 trial of oral DMD treatment SAT-3247
- Guest Voice: Despite losses from Duchenne MD, I persevere
- I rarely answer honestly when asked, ‘How are the boys doing?’
- Trial testing gene-editing therapy PBGENE-DMD gets FDA green light