The Journey We Are On.....

Six years ago today (August 20, 2010) our lives were forever changed. On that day that our beautiful precious 28 day old son was diagnosed with PBD-ZSD (Peroxisomal Biogenesis Disorder-Zellweger Spectrum Disorder). It was the day that we learned of a disease that we wish to this day that we never had to find out about. I know I'm not the person --- the individual, the wife, the mother, the daughter, or the friend that I would have been if Ethan had been healthy. Most days I'm pretty sure I'm not a better person but rather a more bitter person because of the pain and suffering that comes along with a diagnosis like PBD-ZSD. I have read more about pain and suffering, the will of God, God's sovereignty, the brokenness of the world due to sin, and the trials of life than I think I ever would have otherwise. I do not doubt that God is ultimately in control, but I still hate the saying, "everything happens for a reason," and other cliches, many which are not Bib...

June and July have been very busy for us and full of changes for our family. The first weekend of June I flew to Baltimore, MD for a GFPD Board of Directors meeting. While there I was also able to attend the meeting of the GFPD Scientific Advisory Board and the Ilan-a-thon. I left that weekend very proud of how much the GFPD has accomplished in less than six years and excited to see what will happen next. Please read " Update from the Annual GFPD Scientific Advisory Meeting " and " More than a Race, Ilan-a-thon is a Celebration ," for more details. During my trip to Baltimore , which came less than 2 weeks after Ethan had his tonsils and adenoids removed, we began to make a number of changes to Ethan's anti-seizure medications. Under the supervision of Ethan's epileptologist we began to wean him off of Banzel and made plans to try Charlotte's Web hemp oil. Ethan's epileptologist runs a clinical trial for Epidiolex , which is a pharmaceutical cannabin...