Party of 9 — Betty Vertin

A banner for Betty Vertin's "Party of 9" that depicts a large family walking across a field at sunset..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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Embracing the unfamiliar quiet as my large family grows up

The house is quiet this morning. A dog sleeps next to me on the couch as I contemplate the words I will use to write this column. The news is on, so there is some background noise, and I can faintly hear a video game playing in my son’s…

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Finding balance while parenting children with DMD can be tricky

Here in the Midwest, June brings warmer temperatures. I live in Nebraska, where warmer weather is welcome after bitterly cold winters and brisk, windy springs. It’s also necessary for the crops growing in the large fields that line most of the highways. I wait all spring for the temperature to…

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Our family’s all-star football player also lives with Duchenne

I’m a mother of seven and a caregiver to the three of my sons who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). My oldest daughter, Lexi, 24, lives a few hours away with her husband. I live in rural Nebraska with my husband, Jason, and our six youngest children: Max, 19;…

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Fear and pride as my son starts up with high school band

When I think about my son Charlie, I always remember my pregnancy with him. I’d taken a home test and knew I was pregnant, but when I called to make an appointment with my doctor to confirm the good news, I scheduled an appointment for my son Max, who was…

Columns

A day of reflection leads me to a place of gratitude as a DMD mom

Once again, I’m writing from an uncomfortable chair in an infusion room as my son Max participates in a clinical trial. I frequently visit this room with my three sons — Max, 19; Rowen, 16; and Charlie, 14 — who live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). It’s a…

Columns

Motherhood, my life purpose, makes caregiving easier

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last column. I’ve missed writing them. I can never explain how therapeutic it is for me to share my life as a caregiver through writing. I have seven children: Lexi, 24, Max, 19, Chance, 18, Rowen, 16, Charlie, 14, Mary, 10, and…

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My son’s Make-A-Wish experience at WrestleMania was unforgettable

I’m writing this column as my husband, Jason, drives our family through the last rolling hills on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. Last week, we took an epic road trip from our quiet hometown in Nebraska to the eclectic sounds and neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip.

Columns

Living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy feels like a gamble

I don’t gamble. I don’t know how to do it. I wouldn’t even know how to place a bet, and the only gambling game I recognize by name is poker. However, for someone who’s never gambled, I sure understand what it must feel like. How? Because I’m the caregiver of…

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My 3-year-old is realizing her older brothers with DMD are different

“Mommy, hold me. Mommy, hold me.” These were the words I heard repeatedly from my 3-year-old daughter, Callie, during the four days we spent in the neuromuscular clinic with her older brothers last week. It wasn’t normal for her to want to be held. I’ve never traveled with a stroller…

Columns

On a rough day, insight into my sons’ life with DMD, wheelchairs

My husband, Jason, and I are parents to seven children: Lexi, 23; Max, 19; Chance, 17; Rowen, 16; Charlie, 14; Mary, 10; and Callie, 3. This week we’re traveling with five of them: Max, Rowen, and Charlie, who are our three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and our…

Columns

Caregiving sometimes feels like walking a tightrope

My heart is walking a tightrope. I’m a 45-year-old wife to Jason and mother to our seven children: Lexi, 23, Max, 19, Chance, 17, Rowen, 16, Charlie, 14, Mary, 10, and Callie, 3. Three of our children, Max, Rowen, and Charlie, are living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This…


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