On Dec. 4, I performed British singer-songwriter Calum Scott’s 2017 pop ballad “You Are the Reason” at a live caroling session with ART:DIS, the first organization in Singapore to pioneer the artistic development of members of the disabled community. The performance was part of the annual Enabling Lives…

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 old, we feel every ounce of that busyness. I read memes and articles about the glorification…

“You’ve got a friend in me.” The title of my favorite Disney theme song, by Randy Newman, has never had greater significance for me. The last thing I would’ve expected to be my friend has, in the depths of grief and sorrow, become my strongest ally. I am a…

During Mass on Sunday, the priest talked about an aspect of faith that acts as an infusion for the soul. As a mother of three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), I loved the analogy and was grateful because I thought it was something my sons would understand. All three…

Having Duchenne muscular dystrophy gives me plenty of things to worry about, like scheduling doctors’ appointments on time, not knowing when I might lose my ability to do certain actions, and using the bathroom when out with friends, because I know I’ll need help but will be too embarrassed…

Making it to 25 years old is no small feat. It means you’ve survived for a quarter of a century. While 18 is a clear demarcation between childhood and adulthood, 25 makes it even clearer still. I celebrated that moment on my birthday last Friday. Getting this far in life…

My parents tried to shield me as long as they could from data that revealed the average life expectancy of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Once I grew older and more curious, I finally came across those numbers, and they scared me. I…

People are always surprised at how faithful my family is. They think that because of my illness we would automatically throw our faith out the window, or that we would blame God for our circumstances. It’s quite the opposite actually. Growing up, I wouldn’t exactly say we were a family of…