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’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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There is power in community! I’m thankful that my family is part of a big, beautiful community: the parents, professionals, and, of course, those living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). They are, in…
A neuropsychological evaluation greatly affected how we plan to educate our 13-year-old son this school year. As Rowen begins the eighth grade, I am proud of the services he will receive. A neuropsychologist hasn’t…
If you thought you missed my column last week, it wasn’t you — I didn’t write one. My kids were sick with cold symptoms. One thing you may not know about large families is…
There is a busyness to parenting. Children of all ages need their parents for many reasons. And perhaps because my husband, Jason, and I have seven children ranging from 7 months to 21 years…
“We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful.” This quote, which has been passed down in many forms, is one of my favorites from Mother Teresa. I’ve been thinking a…
It’s August, and here in Nebraska, that marks the start of a new school year. As preparations were underway at our house, a freshly sharpened No. 2 pencil rolled across the kitchen table.
When you have kids’ Legos in the house, you tend to have Legos everywhere! At least, that’s how it’s always been here with my “Party of 9.” My oldest son and second…
Being a mother to a child with special needs is a demanding job. My children need things I cannot ignore, no matter how tired or busy I am. Last week I hit my wall,…
We had a tough day here this past week. Everyone was tired, and emotions were running high. After a long day, we hit a breaking point. I was going on day six or…
My oldest son, Max, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) on July 10, 2010. During the following year, my sons Rowen and Charlie were also diagnosed with DMD. In a few days,…
This week’s column is a little different than usual. Hawken Miller, a fellow Muscular Dystrophy News columnist who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), reached out to collaborate. Hawken, who’s also a features writer…
Some days do not want to be good ones. We had one of those days this past Sunday. I was determined to get to church on time. From the get-go, many factors were working…
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