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.
Combining medical appointments with school, work, and finances can sometimes overwhelm me. My mom used to be the keeper of my schedule, but now it’s all up to me, and the pressure is on. The best way for me to reduce stress when everything seems to happen at…
Having Duchenne muscular dystrophy is hard because of its progressive nature. I can no longer participate in activities the way I have in the past. As the disease advances, it is important for me to select friends carefully. Not everyone sees past the wheelchair and my weakness…
In a past column, I wrote about focusing on the things I can do rather than those I can’t. One of the things I can do is travel, and I’m fortunate to have visited many places around the world. Traveling is possible even with…
I’m not going to be an athlete — and that’s OK. I’ve found a competitive outlet through video games. While sports helps to build friendships and engage in teamwork (I had felt excluded from that opportunity for comradery), video games have leveled the playing field for me.
College is a busy time in my life. I can easily overbook my schedule and have little time to do homework. I’ve resisted the temptation to stay up late on many occasions. I know the power of sleep. Sleeping about nine hours a night gives me a chance…
I attended my final class at the University of Southern California (USC) last Wednesday, and I thought this would be a good time to look back at the ups and downs of navigating college with a disability. The support of those around me…
My faith in God and my spiritual and practical gifts have helped me to find a purpose worth living for in a body and world that make it difficult. Because of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, I can solve all of the small inconveniences in front of me without understanding the…
Living with Duchenne makes a lot of things difficult, including socializing with other people. Throughout my life, especially as the disease has progressed, it’s gotten harder to relate to people without physical disabilities. Even with the added difficulty, I’ve succeeded socially by carefully choosing the people I surround myself…
In fifth grade, it was hard for me to grasp why some people could play handball, run, and join the flag football team, but I couldn’t. I gave more weight than I should have to the things that I could not do. Looking back, I’m not surprised I thought that…
My mom used to shake me awake in the morning, cook me breakfast, and send me off to school with a packed lunch. She made sure I took all my pills, ate vegetables, and had consistent physical therapy. My dad and some teachers acted as my arms and legs to…
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