Duchenne Has Forced Me to Reflect on My Own Mortality
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…
Hawk’s-Eye View — Hawken Miller
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.
Featured Post
So Long for Now: The Hawk Flies On to New Horizons
It’s hard to believe: This is the 100th column I’ve written for Muscular Dystrophy News Today. It will also be my last for the near future. “Hawk’s-Eye View” has been a part…
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What I’ve Learned from Starting a Twitch Channel
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…
Living Joyfully Helped Me Overcome Fear, Anger, and Sadness
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…
How to Best Live with One Another During Quarantine
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…
Self-quarantine Has Leveled the Social Playing Field
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…
Celebrating My First Year of Writing Columns
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,…
Life Isn’t Fair, but I Can Make the Best of It
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…
As Adults with DMD, We Have a Responsibility to Mentor Younger Generations
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…
Developing My Talents Has Helped Me to Thrive
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),…
A Positive Attitude Makes a World of Difference When Coping with Duchenne
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…
Why Daily Stretching Is Important for Those with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Stretching has been part of my daily life since I was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) about 17 years ago. Every night, my parents would reserve 30 minutes to do passive stretching, and…
Finding a Job That’s a Good Fit for You and Your Health
I realize that having a full-time job as well as Duchenne muscular dystrophy can be challenging. Balancing my time between self-care, including stretching and doctor’s appointments, and work can be physically and emotionally…
