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Deciding to get yourself or your child vaccinated for COVID-19 is a personal choice. For us, the facts outweighed the myths. My 10-year-old daughter, Jessa, and our 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, are now officially vaccinated. Well, almost. We made it through the first round of COVID-19 vaccine shots. But there…

We are now almost 10 years into our journey with Angelman syndrome and I’m still smiling. Not a cheesy, pasted-on smile, but a smile that says things are tough sometimes but we are doing all right. Traveling through life with Angelman syndrome is not an easy path to manage. Each…

Although they present a happy demeanor, Angels can have bad days. Or bad weeks, which is what happens when my 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, is sick. Her sweet disposition is there somewhat, accompanied by a mean little minion that seems to be sitting on her shoulder urging her to dish out…

My 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, has a fixation. A fixation is an intense focus or obsession. Some parents may view this as a bad thing, but experts say otherwise, and I’ve found Juliana’s obsession to be one of the most positive influences in her life. Since she was about 1…

There’s a really significant Christmas bell rolling around my house these days. The bell used to be an ornament. Now it serves as a reminder for me to be flexible and understanding. Along with a sense of humor, these traits are good qualities to possess when raising a child…

Finding the right gift for an Angel can be tough. However, when I decided to let go of old expectations, I was able to craft the perfect Christmas list for my 11-year-old Angel, Juliana. When Juliana was younger, I was all over the place when choosing gifts for her.

The holiday season is here. For many people, there might be a mountain of little details to plan that perfect holiday. However, it’s simplicity that keeps me festive while managing my 11-year-old Angel’s unpredictable behavior. As the years roll by, I am learning valuable lessons as a caregiver. These…

Children with Angelman syndrome are known to have sleep issues, and I have heard and read trying tales about problems some families have encountered. But my 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, is a sleeper. We don’t hypnotize her or use anything special, and I wonder if her ever-improving…

Walking is something many of us take for granted. It seems so simple — you just put one foot in front of the other and go. But as the parent of a child with Angelman syndrome, it’s not always that easy. Our 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, has been walking for…

People used to ask me sometimes if my husband and I knew when we adopted our daughter, Juliana, that she had Angelman syndrome. My answer, of course, has always been no, but I never understood why that was relevant. Now that Juliana is 11, we are rarely…