I’m not sure which surprised me more — that my 75-year-old mother was open to the obnoxious process of spitting into a saliva sample for a second time, or that my dad might have the Fabry mutation that three of my children and I share. We recently learned about…
Straight Paths With Crooked Lines
— Susanna VanVickle
Susanna VanVickle is a Cajun girl who grew up traveling the world as a missionary kid. Today she is a wife, mom, and teacher in North Texas. In 2019 she and three of her five children were diagnosed with Fabry disease. Though the rare disease journey came as a complete surprise, the VanVickle family tries to see the bigger picture and how a straight path can be drawn with crooked lines. As a Bionews columnist, Susanna now shares bits and pieces of her family’s experience with Fabry, hoping to encourage others who are in the trenches of the rare disease struggle.
Dallas residents are all talking about the unrelenting heat this year, as we’ve logged 52 days over 100 F. Besides the physical effects of bone-dry lawns, cracking foundations, and blistering-hot sidewalks, there are scary yet less visible effects of the heat wave on public health. Local officials warn…
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