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.
My parents tried to shield me as long as they could from data that revealed the average life expectancy of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Once I grew older and more curious, I finally came across those numbers, and they scared me. I…
When I started my Twitch channel in February, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I became quite familiar with the video game streaming platform through journalism, and finally worked up the courage to start. In the four months since then, I’ve learned about starting a small business, branding, design,…
Joy is one of the best tools we have to combat the progressive loss of our physical abilities. It’s an emotion that helps us triumph over our negative feelings. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t live a life of joy. What exactly is joy? The emotion…
COVID-19 has forced families around the world to stay indoors and spend a lot more time together. This will not change for quite a while, especially for those of us with chronic conditions who need extra protection. As I wrote in my previous column,…
I’ve always sought silver linings, including in this season of social distancing. Many people now exclusively use technology to communicate with family, friends, and co-workers to reduce viral spread. Instead of hanging out at inaccessible places, people connect from the comfort of home. Self-quarantine has yielded plenty of valid complaints,…
This week, I celebrate my one-year anniversary of writing columns for Bionews Services. A lot has happened in that year: I graduated from college, interned at The Washington Post, and secured a full-time newswriting position at Bionews. I’ve laughed a…
If we lived in a fair world, Duchenne muscular dystrophy would not exist. Unfortunately, life isn’t fair, and I was diagnosed with the muscle-wasting disease 18 years ago. Even with a bleak future, there’s still something I can do about it. I can refuse to…
Adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) should help younger generations through the difficult parts of growing up with a rare muscular disease. They need someone in a similar situation to look up to, relate to, and learn from. I recently met a high schooler who…
Life with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is far from predictable. We can’t foresee how our bodies will change. When I turned 18 (I’m 23 now), I didn’t know that five years later, I would need help showering and getting off the…
The other day, I was sitting in Haute Cakes Caffe chowing down on a carnitas breakfast burrito, when an older woman sitting next to me said something that took me by surprise. “You have a really great outlook,” she said, as I motored up to grab a to-go box…
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