How I’ve learned to embrace the highs and lows of caregiving
In the past few weeks, as I’ve sat down at my laptop to write my columns, I’ve often wondered if readers think I’m crazy. One week my columns are full of positivity and gratitude…
Party of 9 — Betty Vertin
Betty Vertin is a mother and writer living in rural Hastings, Nebraska, with her husband and seven children. Betty is a caregiver to three sons, Max, Rowen, and Charlie. Her oldest was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2010 at 4 years old. The other boys were diagnosed with the same in the following year. Although Duchenne occasionally crashes the party, it has not kept her large family from celebrating and enjoying life. She writes her column in hopes of sharing her family’s experiences with others on a similar journey.
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How my teaching job reminds me that I’m more than a caregiver
I’m more than a caregiver, but it took a recent life change for me to realize that. I’m a mom to seven children I share with my husband, Jason, including three of our…
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Couch shopping awakened me to a focus on my children with DMD
I think about things deeply, rolling ideas around in my head until they make sense. My creative side, the writer, likes to wonder in this way. And as an introvert who naturally tends to…
Changes this year helped me learn my limitations as a caregiver
Life feels busy, which is no surprise to me. My husband, Jason, and I share seven children: Lexi, 23; Max, 19; Chance, 17; Rowen, 15; Charlie, 13; Mary, 10; and Callie, 2. Max, Rowen,…
Being mindful of kidney stones while living with DMD
“Kidney stones!” my 13-year-old son, Charlie, exclaimed when I asked him what I should write about this week. My husband, Jason, and I have seven children: Lexi, 23; Max, 19; Chance, 17; Rowen, 15;…
The missed milestones in the teenage years because of DMD
I have three teenage sons — Max, 18, Rowen, 15, and Charlie, 13 — who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). They have met several sweet milestones over the years, and I love celebrating them.
As a Duchenne mom, I know I can do hard things
The seasons are changing in central Nebraska. The leaves have turned yellow and orange, a beautiful contrast littered across the green lawns and familiar streets surrounding my home. The mornings are brisk, and I’ve finally…
Duchenne affects my entire life, down to a DIY project
I’m a mom to seven children: Lexi, 23; Max, 18; Chance, 17; Rowen, 15; Charlie, 13; Mary, 10; and Callie, 2. As part of that job, I’m also a caregiver to Max, Rowen, and…
I wish all of my sons could have played football
I sat in the front row of the football stadium, watching my second-oldest son, Chance, 17, play football. It’s his senior year, and I’ve been front and center at each game. That front row…
Every week, we try to organize chaos in our family of 9
What’s a typical week as a caregiver of three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) like? As a primary caregiver to Max, 18, Rowen, 15, and Charlie, 13, my honest answer is…
This time, new medical equipment is hard for me to accept
Our house is getting a new piece of medical equipment this week. That’s happened before, as we have three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): Max, 18, Rowen, 15, and Charlie, 13. Over…
Going gray prompts questions about the impact of caregiving on my life
I’m going gray. Wait, I should clarify that I’ve been coloring my hair since I was 25. It started coming in gray long before I became a mom to three sons with Duchenne…
