Hawken is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California and a young journalist with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He has previously worked for the Washington Post, Sacramento Bee, KTLA 5 News and at USC Annenberg Media. When not writing columns, he’s reporting on rare disease-related news for the publisher of this website, BioNews.
Kriki Cragwalker, a redheaded dwarf from the mountain city of Jagarz Dauk, grasps her enchanted, two-handed greataxe and is circled by a host of ancient green spirits with allegiance to the god Jani. She charges forward toward a horrified hobgoblin. Flanked…
If you are familiar with the disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it’s easy to tell if someone has it. Enlarged calves, a waddling gait, the use of a wheelchair, and in some cases, a puffy face due to steroid use are all visual cues…
On Feb. 19, I received my second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. According to the nurse who gave me the injection and clinical trial results from the biotech company, the vaccine is about 95% effective against COVID-19 within seven to 14 days, a period that ended for…
Rare Disease Day, a global push for rare disease awareness, is less than a week away, on Feb. 28. As someone with a rare disease myself, I’ve heard the word “rare” quite a bit in my life. It’s a beautiful rallying cry…
In the last year, it’s been easy for me to coop myself up in my room and spend the entire day without stepping outside once. I’m either afraid of getting COVID-19 or I get caught up with work, and by the time I…
I’m a self-described gamer, and proud of it, but lately I’ve realized I’ve probably been playing too much. Two weeks ago, during online church services, we talked about fasting, including from things beyond food, such as social media and TV. That raised the question with me of why not trying…
Since my internship at The Washington Post, I’ve done freelance work at outlets ranging from The Forward, a Jewish-focused website, to Dot Esports, and of course, Bionews, the publisher of Muscular Dystrophy News. In the past year and a half, I’ve realized that working for…
Christmas is upon us, and for many, it might not even feel like the holiday season at all. We’ve been forced to stay away from family, our finances are tight, and uncertainty lingers about how 2021 will unfold. For me, being cooped up…
Having Duchenne muscular dystrophy is scary for a number of reasons. High up on that list is experiencing a fall. That’s especially true for those who have been on steroids for many years. Our bones aren’t as strong because of it. For those of us in a transition…
I always hope to impart a positive message to my readers and exude joy in life whenever possible, but I also know it’s OK to be upset, even angry, at times. I have to face the peaks and valleys the same as anyone else, but I also have…
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