When I was pregnant with Ethan there were several other women in our church who were also expecting and/or already parenting young children so it was decided to bring MOPS to our church. After Ethan's birth and diagnosis I only attended a few meetings before I simply couldn't put myself through it anymore. My experience as a new mom of a medically complex, severely disabled child due to a rare genetic disease and the overwhelming grief that accompanies this "journey" made it too difficult to be surrounded by so much "normal." As time passed I connected with a couple of other moms in my area who had children with special needs. This small group of women became a lifeline and their children became some of Ethan's first "friends." A few of us even participating in a panel discussion for the MOPS group, that I had previously dropped out of, where we shared our stories and answered questions. Over the last six years I have removed myself from m...
Our son, Ethan, was diagnosed with peroxisomal biogenesis disorder - zellweger spectrum disorder (PBD-ZSD), a very rare genetic disease, when he was just four weeks old. There is no cure for PBD-ZSD and treatment is symptomatic. This is our family's journey.