Imagine being a little kid and facing not only serious illness, but all the uncomfortable, scary treatments associated with hospitalization: blood draws, IV placements, and scans. Then you find out that you can earn prizes for every medical procedure you go through, thanks to an incentive program called Super Rewards for Super Kids. Kids love […]
rare diseases
Transforming research participation
Below is a letter I wrote in response to Tania Simoncelli’s article, “From Bedside to Bench and Back,” (Issues in Science and Technology, Summer 2023). Read all the responses here. Biomedical research has blind spots that can be reduced, as Tania Simoncelli writes, by “centering the largest stakeholders in medicine—the patients.” By focusing on rare […]
Chasing cures
Bon Ku, MD, a regular on the TV show “Chasing the Cure,” and David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, author of CHASING MY CURE, invited me to join their upcoming panel at the Health Datapalooza. Guess what title we chose? We are nothing if not consistent: Chasing cures. We intend to focus on how open source principles can break […]
Chasing cures
Years ago, I met a mom of a child with a rare disease who matter-of-factly shared her story, which included as many twists and close calls as any blockbuster summer movie. I marveled at her heroism and she said no, she rejects that description. “I’m not a hero,” she insisted. “I’m a typical mom. You […]
A helping hand, just in time
Some years ago a few colleagues and I got stuck at Logan Airport and we started telling stories to pass the time. One tale has come back to me over and over again, particularly as I cared for my dad during his last year of life, because it reminded me to be open to the possibility […]
Rare but not alone
Ashley Eakin, a filmmaker, is being brave and showing her real self online. She does it on behalf of the kids who share her rare condition so they can see themselves, in her image — a beautiful example of how the internet can be a bridge to hope and inclusion. Watch: When she mentions in […]
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