Fragile but Fierce – a Column by Patrice Williams

In another bummer turn of events, my 11-year-old son Jonah woke up on Sunday morning with a corneal abrasion. These, and the types of blisters he experienced on Christmas, are two of the most painful things he endures. He hasn’t dealt with an eye…

Our Christmas started out like most people’s. Well, sort of. We, like many, kept it small this year. On Christmas Eve, we did bath and bandage change in the afternoon. It never really feels like a holiday can begin until that is out of the way. That night,…

I am an extrovert by nature. Most of my life I have gotten my energy from being around other people. I value others’ opinions, points of view, camaraderie, and comfort. I love to laugh and have always been up for a good game night.

Oprah recently released her Favorite Things 2020 list, and it got me thinking of my own favorites list. What are some of the things that have made our lives a bit easier amid the struggles? Our family has made several…

My mom got an adorable kitten last weekend. When I showed my boys the sweet picture she texted us, Jonah questioned me about our cat that we re-homed when he was little. (Photos courtesy of Patrice Williams) “Why did we get rid of…

Last in a series. Read part one. After our son Jonah was born with junctional epidermolysis bullosa, we made the difficult decision for him to get a gastrostomy feeding tube. Once it was decided, things went into motion pretty quickly. To…

First in a two-part series. Our son Jonah, who was born with junctional epidermolysis bullosa in 2009, struggled to eat from the beginning. It was one of the main reasons he had to remain in the NICU after he was born. Jonah finally ate…

Last in a series. Read part one.  I continued an interview this week with my son Jonah, who is 11 and was born with junctional epidermolysis bullosa (EB), after we both got a bit long-winded the last time we sat down to chat.

First in a series. My son Jonah was born with junctional epidermolysis bullosa in 2009. He is now 11 and in the sixth grade. I am honored to write this column about EB, but Jonah is the one we need to hear from. Being his mom is the greatest…

Our son Jonah is 11 years old now and just began the sixth grade. It blows my mind to think that it has been 11 years since our journey with epidermolysis bullosa began. In some ways, it feels like it’s been much longer, and…

When my son Jonah was born with epidermolysis bullosa, saying it was a shock is a gross understatement. Unknowingly, my husband, Matt, and I each carried mutated genes that, when joined together, made for a monster disease that ravaged our sweet baby’s tender body.  Our first…

The scariest thing about a rare disease is that nobody has the answers you’re desperately seeking. When you are facing something so unfamiliar and the people who are supposed to know don’t, it’s terrifying. The first couple months of the life of my son…