Author Archives: Hawken Miller

Living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy has plenty of downsides, such as having to use a wheelchair and a BiPAP machine, dealing with fatigue, and wearing night splints, among other things. But if you’ve read my column for a while, you’ll know I like to look on the positive…

A rare disease puts an economic burden on the patients, families, and caregivers that it affects, and will no doubt be an integral part of discussions on Rare Disease Day 2022, which brings international awareness about the more than 300 million people living with rare disorders. Part of that…

The nonprofit RARE-X is creating an easily-accessible, centralized data hub for all rare disease patient data that can help researchers answer questions about existing disorders, discover new ones, and work toward finding treatments. It was spun out of the work that Nicole Boice, founder and chief engagement officer of…

It’s been nearly a year since the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases released its expansive report finding the total economic burden of rare disorders in the U.S. to be nearly $1 trillion.

No matter who you are, life will throw you seemingly impossible challenges. It will make you question everything. If you believe in God like me, I’m sure you have asked, “Why are you letting this happen to me?” In reading a Christian book titled “Faith That Engages the Culture,”…

Since 2008, Rare Disease Day — the last day of February — has brought together patients, caregivers, family members, friends, and advocates from around the world to raise awareness and improve equity for the more than 7,000 known rare diseases that affect more than 300 million people. In 2022, the…

A 7-mile hike with a 1,000-foot elevation gain was on the schedule for our second day of camping at Point Mugu State Park near Malibu, California. I was with our small Boy Scout Troop 911, which operated out of my elementary school in Huntington Beach. It was a…

Having Duchenne muscular dystrophy gives me plenty of things to worry about, like scheduling doctors’ appointments on time, not knowing when I might lose my ability to do certain actions, and using the bathroom when out with friends, because I know I’ll need help but will be too embarrassed…

Making it to 25 years old is no small feat. It means you’ve survived for a quarter of a century. While 18 is a clear demarcation between childhood and adulthood, 25 makes it even clearer still. I celebrated that moment on my birthday last Friday. Getting this far in life…

When his daughter, Meredith Huml, was diagnosed — finally — with facioscapulohumeral (FSHD) muscular dystrophy in 2004, Raymond Huml immediately jumped into action, researching everything he could about the disease and reaching out to the FSHD Society. “We went to the FSHD Society and looked up what they…