Hawk’s-Eye View — Hawken Miller

A conga line of people snaked through shaded outdoor tables as the setting Florida sun warmed their faces. For all the conga lines one can imagine, this one was slightly different — people in…

The last time I traveled on my own without my parents was last May, when my friends and I went to Hawaii. While my parents did come with us, they kept to the…

There are a lot of things to hate about Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Last weekend, I found myself uncontrollably crying while FaceTiming a friend as I was explaining why I wanted to be in…

When I went off to school at the University of Southern California (USC), it was the first time, like many other 18-year-olds, that I would be living away from home. It was an…

We throw around the word “community” a lot in the rare disease space, but don’t always think about what it really means and how it’s vital for patients, family, friends, and caregivers. I rarely…

When we think about fighting, we might imagine the Ultimate Fighting Championship ring, where men and women beat each other up in front of millions of fans. Or we might see soldiers firing…

We can all smile, but there’s one type of smile that shows genuine positive emotion and is nearly impossible to fake. The zygomaticus major muscle in the cheek pulls the lips upward while the…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…