A rare community of support

Life with a rare disease brings so many unique challenges for every individual impacted. With CLOVES in particular, this disease manifests in every person differently so no two people diagnosed have the same symptoms. That means that not only do we have a unique experience being diagnosed with a rare disease, but we live an … Continue reading A rare community of support →

Permission to sweat the small stuff (& happy Rare Disease Day!)

Happy Rare Disease Day! As I’ve mentioned many times, living with CLOVES Syndrome is a journey of ups and downs. There are a lot of challenges, big and small, that come with this syndrome that can make life tough sometimes. I happened to be thinking one day about some of the ways that CLOVES impacts … Continue reading Permission to sweat the small stuff (& happy Rare Disease Day!) →

Top 5 lessons I’ve learned living with my natural imperfections

We all know living with an anomaly can suck, no matter what it is. Throughout my life experiences so far, I’ve learned several lessons that over time have helped me rebuild the parts of my character that so often got torn down from the tough times. Though this may not apply to all since everyone … Continue reading Top 5 lessons I’ve learned living with my natural imperfections →

Parenting a child with CLOVES • by Julie, a CLOVES mother

My daughter asked me to write about what it’s like to parent a child with CLOVES Syndrome. When I started to think about what to write, I realized how hard it is to put into words as it is such a unique experience given the rarity of CLOVES Syndrome. Our journey began when Lindsay was … Continue reading Parenting a child with CLOVES • by Julie, a CLOVES mother →

Rare isn’t so rare

30 million people are living with rare diseases in the United States today. That’s 1 in 10 Americans. Worldwide, about 350 million people suffer from rare diseases. If all of the people diagnosed with rare diseases lived in one country, it would be the world’s 3rd most populated country. How wild is that? For how … Continue reading Rare isn’t so rare →

5 things to remember when they stare

If you have a rare disease with any kind of physical abnormality, then you most likely get a few stares when you’re out in public, maybe even on a daily basis (I sure do). And I’m going to be honest—it hurts. No matter how old you get or how confident you get, staring is one … Continue reading 5 things to remember when they stare →

Why awareness is so important

A fear of the unknown is common among many, especially those living with any kind of disease. Not knowing what lies in your future medically, socially, emotionally, and/or mentally can be incredibly unsettling. Back before CLOVES was even discovered, most people with this syndrome were misdiagnosed as children, if doctors could pinpoint a diagnosis at … Continue reading Why awareness is so important →

Older and stronger

This world tends to throw us curveballs left and right, and you never know when they’re coming for you. When they reach you, often they’re difficult to work through. And sometimes, the outlook gets bleak. You can fight something and do everything you can to get through certain hardships in life, but sometimes it seems … Continue reading Older and stronger →

My story

I never really thought my syndrome had a significant impact on me as a person. I was alone for most of my life, thinking I was the only person in the world with this rare disease. Until I was correctly diagnosed and met others like me, I really struggled with my differences. I was born … Continue reading My story →