By Marci Mortensen I was seven months pregnant with my second child when I first heard the words ectodermal dysplasia. Our first son Sawyer was 20 months old at the time. Although he was slightly underweight and susceptible to frequent respiratory infections, he was abundantly active and happy, and certainly giving these first time parents…
NFED In Our Back Yard!
By Lisa Jonak My son Cory, was about 6 years old before he was officially diagnosed with ectodermal dysplasia during an NFED family conference in Collinsville, IL. Ironically, the NFED was basically located in our back yard. I did not realize how lucky we were to have this resource so close. They helped us find a…
Creating Connections of Hope and Comfort
By Rachel Buerman, NFED Liaison I am a pharmacist and my husband is a special education teacher with a license for both learning disabilities and emotional behavior disorders. For both of us it is important that we are comfortable reading, understanding and analyzing research articles and clinical trials that are published in professional journals. We…
Every Moment Has A Meaning
By Cory Jonak, Former Intern & Current Volunteer Throughout the course of our lives, we all will inevitably experience moments that have lasting impacts on us. While some of these moments are explicit and stand out, others can be more subtle and happen in an instant. However, no matter how small or big these moments,…
Ronan, Our Unborn "Celtic" Legend…What a Shock and a Joy!
By Dennis Claire, D.P.M., Father of Denny and soon to be Ronan Well before she was pregnant, my wife said, “If it’s a boy, he’ll be named Ronan.” Our first son, Denny, had a name which was predestined through generations of naming a son in the family Dennis. I didn’t want to break Irish tradition, and…
Overwhelmed With Love and Belonging!
By Terri Andrews I was born in a little rural area in Alabama in 1959. Not much was known about ectodermal dysplasia nor the type of ectodermal dysplasias I was born with called ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting (EEC) syndrome. If I received any type of major treatment or surgery, I had to travel at least 100 miles, which was not…
The True Meaning In Life Is To Plant Trees, Under Whose Shade You Never Expect To Sit!
By Ashli Matus-George Allyson Kelso’s Aunt Founder, Rally for Ally When Ally was born on December 22, 2004 in Oxnard, CA, it was an exciting time. A new baby, Christmas for her three-year-old big sister, Morgan. My then fiancé, Tom, and I were recently engaged and planning a wedding, Kristin had a thriving career, and…
A Little Step May Be the Beginning of a Great Journey!
By Jennifer Hagerty Have you ever thought about how you can make a difference to the NFED and the families they serve? As a NFED family liaison, I have thought about it many times. I am a busy mom who is going to school as well as taking care of my two young boys. Needless to…