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.
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, and Charlie live with…
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The past week has been difficult. Our oldest son with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Max, fell last week and hurt his leg. In the past several days, we’ve figured out how to dress him and help him in…
I have three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): Max, 17, Rowen, 14, and Charlie, 12. Rowen stopped walking three years ago at the age of 11, after he fell and broke his lower leg. Of course,…
Most days, my husband, Jason, and I take our kids to school in the same van. It’s an excellent time to be with them before school, and I get a nice 10-minute date with Jason after dropping off…
We had a snowstorm last week that left us with 10 inches of snow after just a few hours. It still looks like a winter wonderland outside. My children had two days off of school as a result. We…
Birthdays can be challenging for parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). When our children were diagnosed, we were given a life expectancy. And as our children turn a year older, it’s a reminder…
Before three of my sons were diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), I didn’t know what I didn’t know. After that, my learning curve went straight up. I still needed to learn the amount of advocacy…
I do my best to try in life, but I’m not perfect by any means. That’s me. I hope that is how I come across in this column. However, I never want to make life in a Duchenne…
Is it necessary to write about my family and three children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)? I have always felt that it is. However, sometimes, especially on social media, I am questioned and criticized when I share certain…
Bend your mind. When we discovered our middle son, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), was on the autism spectrum, we helped him adjust to unexpected changes by using the words “bend your mind” as a cue.
The lights shone brightly, illuminating dancers dressed in red on the stage below. The rest of the theater was dark, save for an iPad glowing toward the back of the auditorium. I sat in the dark hall on a…
Are there curbs or cutouts? How many stairs are there? Is there an elevator? Is there space for multiple power chairs? How big is the bathroom? How far is the parking lot from the entrance? What do all…
Like many, we have a tradition of buying a real Christmas tree every year during the weekend after Thanksgiving. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas until we have visited our local tree farm to pick out the perfect…
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