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.
I drove my oldest son, Max, who is 17, to his second college visit this week. As we veered onto the interstate, I told him I knew someone his age who’d already decided to attend the school we…
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Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is not a one-size-fits-all disease. I have three sons with DMD: Max, 17, Rowen, 14, and Charlie, 12. Each differs vastly from the others, from the speed of disease progression to how their bodies…
“Vroom, vroom, vroom” trails my son in the hallway at school. “Whoa, there. Do you guys have a license for those things?” an older gentleman says as my family navigates our way through a shopping area. “You drive that…
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can be all-consuming. It’s so big that it often takes up all the leftover space in a room. However, we’ve had years where life is bigger than Duchenne. I’m grateful to be experiencing…
The first time the words “Duchenne muscular dystrophy” (DMD) were spoken to me, they might as well have been in a whisper. I could barely comprehend the specialist sitting across from me who was saying something was wrong…
My journey as a mom of three boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has had its fair share of highs and lows, with my hope waning during the lows. But now, my hope is as strong as it’s…
The diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) for my sons Max, 17, Rowen, 14, and Charlie, 12, left me with layers of emotions that continue to make their way to the surface more than a decade later.
In last week’s column, I mentioned that thanks to the encouragement of some fellow Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) moms, I’ve begun using a Hoyer lift with my 14-year-old, Rowen. He’s one of my three sons…
My family spent the end of June attending the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) annual conference in Dallas. It was the first time I had joined the conference in person since before the pandemic, and the first…
The toddler was crying, hungry for a snack, standing just behind me as I sliced pieces of watermelon. But I was smiling. The big kids were in the pool, and I knew they’d be delighted to have watermelon on…
While the boys are away, it’s time to play! Well, not exactly. My three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — Max, 17, Rowen, 14, and Charlie, 12 — are away this week at Muscular Dystrophy Association…
Like many families in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) community, we’re preparing to send our three sons with the condition to a weeklong camp for young people with muscular dystrophy. I’ve spent the week preparing everything…
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