Columns

My first column for Fabry Disease News introduced readers to my family’s Fabry story. In it, I described the unexpected “crooked lines” of a summer trip that led to my twin teenage sons — Anthony and Michael — being diagnosed. As we evaded one storm — with…

I’ve been receiving biweekly infusions of enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease for over 20 years, and I had a heart transplant in September 2020. With these two amazing gifts, almost all my Fabry symptoms have improved significantly. Those gains are multifarious and have bettered my quality…

Our family’s Fabry disease story started in the summer of 2019. I had driven a carload of teens from Dallas to my Cajun homeland for a youth camp, which was unexpectedly cut short because Hurricane Barry was poised to bear down. Frenzied, friendly camp staff helped us pack…

One evening in mid-2008, my wife, Angela, and I were watching television at home and saw an advertisement about Victory Junction, a camp in Randleman, North Carolina. The camp has a race car theme in honor of the late NASCAR driver Adam Petty and serves children with…

Fabry disease (FD) is a genetic condition caused by variants in the GLA gene. This gene instructs the body to produce the alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A) enzyme, which is necessary for the body to function properly. Low or absent alpha-Gal A enzyme activity can cause a toxic buildup…

When I think of awareness, I think of familiarity with Fabry disease. To me, spreading awareness means providing information and enticing people to learn enough about Fabry that they can recognize the signs in themselves or people they know. Being aware of the symptoms can lead to quicker diagnoses. Additional…

While Fabry disease can involve life-threatening issues such as kidney failure, heart failure, and stroke, other manifestations can also have a big impact on a person’s quality of life. According to an article I co-authored that was published in 2019 in the journal Advances in Therapy, neuropathic pain…

In 2003, when I attended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meeting that would determine whether to approve Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta), which became the first approved treatment developed specifically for Fabry disease in the U.S., I was given an opportunity to make comments to the decision-making panel. Having…

While we all make decisions in our lives, it’s important to think through the consequences of the most significant ones, especially when they involve our health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Living with Fabry disease, a rare and potentially life-threatening disorder, has made many of my decisions more challenging and complex.

Throughout my life, I’ve often put mind over matter to cope with the manifestations of my multisystem disease. I used this mindset during my 27-year military career to meet the rigorous physical demands of military life while managing Fabry symptoms, including: heart disease kidney disease lung disease chronic pain (small…