Imagine the excitement of becoming a new parent and then within hours finding out your child has a serious developmental disorder. That is exactly where Sanath Kumar Ramesh found himself in the summer of 2018. One year later, on his son’s first birthday, they found out that their son, Raghav, had an extremely rare mutation of the GPX4 gene. At the time, doctors told them that Raghav may be the only one on the planet with this genetic variant who had lived beyond one month of life. The progno ...
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The Importance and Power of Taking A Break (Season Finale)
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Season 5 has been fantastic. We feel so thankful to our guests for sharing their stories. Which emotion-character from “Inside Out” are you? Sanath and Brittany reveal the characters they relate to the most. Rare parents experience the full range of emotions, sometimes in the period of a single day, and it can get very tiring. In the season finale,…
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As a new parent, you feel like “oh, my gosh, I must be going crazy” or… …maybe the doctors don’t even understand what is going on. New parents do not know what to expect. There is a lot of self-doubt and questioning even in the best of circumstances. Parents of kiddos with rare diseases are faced with an added wave of unexpected symptoms and proble…
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Wes Michael: Dedicated to Amplifying the Rare Patient Voice
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We often hear the stories of patients and caregivers. Rare Patient Voice is well known for connecting family's stories with the researchers who need to hear them. The founder, Wes Michael, sat down with us to share the results of a caregiver survey they conducted in late 2023. The findings were interesting and affirmed much of what parents raising …
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Coming Together for a Cure - Blake Benton Part 2
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In Part 1, we heard about the bold and courageous approach that Ryan Benton's family took to treat his Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. After seeing the success of the stem cell therapy, Blake and Ryan Benton felt very deeply that they needed to inform and educate others about this approach. From the grass roots of a local rock concert grew Coming Toge…
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A Bold and Courageous Approach - Coming Together For A Cure
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Blake Benton’s earliest memories were his brother declining due to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. About 10 years later, his parents and brother made a bold move. They went to Costa Rica to get an experimental stem cell therapy. And it worked. Ryan was able to live until he was 37 years old with little degeneration caused by his DMD. He died in 2023 o…
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Find Your Real Friends in Your Rare Disease Community
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Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is not considered a rare disease according to the numbers. The T1D community is quite large and includes people of all ages, races, geography, and conditions. However, many of our guests use the technology developed for T1D patients. In fact, Brittany’s daughter Everleigh relies on the Dexcom G7 to manage her glucose levels. I…
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Beyond the Diagnosis is more than a traveling art exhibit. It is a movement to humanize the children who happen to have a rare disease. So much of the work around rare diseases is logical, scientific, and medical. It can be a world without feeling. Using art and artists to introduce and celebrate these children is much more personal and evocative. …
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What have we learned in the last 6 months?
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We discuss the joys, challenges, and surprises of raising a child with a rare disease every episode. In this conversation, we reflect on what each of us has learned through these discussions, through life “outside the podcast,” and through other people we have met along the way. Without any set plan we wander through resilience, learning not to rea…
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Losing a child is heartbreaking. Ashley Genelin lost her son Myles when he was just 3 years old. He was diagnosed with cardiofasciocutaneous syndrome or CFC. They did their best to keep him at home as long as possible, even when caring for Myles was like running an ICU. Make-A-Wish allowed them to take this mini-ICU on the road so that Myles could …
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One Day You Will be on the Other Side
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On this episode we talk to Michelle Fruhschien a mom of two, Noah and Hailey(Jordan Syndrome). The moment she was born, Michelle says she knew it in her bones that something was different about her daughter even though she didn’t start seeing symptoms for another two months. Over the next few months, Michelle spent a lot of her time googling, askin…
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“We have a heartbeat, right?” Josh and Kristin Hoyle knew that life with their new daughter Chloe was going to be different and likely difficult long before she was born. Even in this knowledge, they believed there was a purpose for what they were about to experience. And they leaned into the challenge. Chloe has Bohring-Opitz syndrome and requires…
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We all handle life (and our diagnoses) differently
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On this episode of Raising Rare we talk with Stacy Lloyd, a rare disease patient and board certified patient advocate. Stacy has dedicated her life, even much of her free time to healthcare in one way or another. She currently works at the American Medical Association, previously at Saavy Co-op, and is on the board of the VHL Alliance. After being …
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They won’t be children forever: the transition from pediatric to adult care
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As Raising Rare continues to grow and evolve we are going to start bring in professionals that have beneficial stories for Rare Parents. These are individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping families in one aspect or another as they care for their children. Their viewpoints, stories, and perspectives are uniquely beneficial to parents tha…
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Creating Connections in a Fragmented Landscape
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On this episode of Raising Rare we talk with Megan Nolan, a rare mama working to make a difference for other Rare Families. Megan has launched the online magazine Rareparenting.com in an effort to provide rare families with resources that may be beneficial to them. Like so many other rare families, Megan has experienced the trials and tribulations …
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This episode we are joined by Aisling Finn, an amazing poet and rare disease mama. As she shares her poetry with us, we react to the emotions, struggles, key moments and pain that are so clearly pictured in her words. Aisling shares with us the impact that writing poetry has had on her, and her expression of her feelings, and how they have helped h…
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Other end of the tunnel: True reality of hope is effort
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On this episode in our Other End of the Tunnel Series we are joined by Mark Dant. When their son was just three years old, Mark and his wife were told that their son would pass within the decade after his diagnosis of MPS 1 and the lack of treatments available. As they laid on his floor listening to him breathe on the night of his diagnosis, they b…
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A new year, a new season. Glad to be back!
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Welcome back! We can’t believe we are already on our fifth season of Raising Rare. So much has happened since we started this podcast and we hope to keep evolving, growing, and bringing remarkable stories and individuals to all of our listeners. What words would you use to describe your hopes for the coming year (or coming season of Raising Rare)? …
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We have had an amazing time sharing our stories and our guests with you this season. We hope that this season of Raising Rare has had as profound an impact on you as it has on us. This episode is sadly the last of the season, but we will be back again in January with a new lineup, some old friends, and continuing to share the stories that started i…
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Never Give Up. Mistakes will lead you to discoveries
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On this episode of Raising Rare we speak with Julia Taravella, the mother of two sons with a lysosomal storage disorder called AGU, Aspartylglucosaminuria. At 2 years old, her boys first showed signs of speech delays which triggered a long journey to a diagnosis. Her bright, happy and helpful sons who run around the house adventuring, exploring, an…
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What if we could reduce the stress of caregiving?
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On this episode of Raising Rare we talk with one of Kevin’s old colleagues, Vik Sharma. Vik is the father of two wonderful children Lily and Mira; Mira was born nonverbal and non-ambulatory due to Cerebral Palsy. Vik talks with our hosts about the importance of patience, the reality of impatience, and how humbling being a caregiver really is. As a …
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Update from Dillion Loomis-Head: There’s always one more step
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Since last talking with Dillon earlier this year, he has faced some difficulties related to his mental health, access to medication, and not being granted access to a new clinical trial. It is always a pleasure to talk with Dillon and this episode follows suit. Dillon is a strong advocate for mental health awareness, especially within the rare dise…
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Terry Pirovolakis: Three Years Later, An update from one of our earliest guests
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On this episode we are able to interview one of our first guests again, Terry Pirovolakis. Terry gives us the update on what they have gone through in the last three years, his 4 million dollar gamble, a massive career change and how his son Michael is doing now after receiving a dose of gene therapy. Terry’s breakdown of how they made decisions, s…
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On this episode we talk with Kacy and Tim Wyman. Kacy is a 21 year old sophomore in college who was diagnosed with Cystinosis at the age of 4. Kacy has experienced a lifetime of medication to help treat her condition, and also anti-rejection medications in an effort to keep her donated kidney alive and well inside of her. Her father Tim was blessed…
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This episode is a call to action, an opportunity to seek out available resources, and another connection to an amazing rare parent striving to make the rare community better. Sarah Spear is a rare mama who recognized a need in the community. After doing some market research, she determined that having a database available to the rare community show…
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Life with a rare disease changes everything for parents. What is the cost of stress? What is the cost of scheduling everything? What is the cost of explaining your situation...again? What is the cost of one more thing? On this episode of Raising Rare our cohosts have the opportunity to share the costs of Rare Diseases. Those costs reach so far beyo…
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Dillon Loomis- Head is a dear friend to Salem Oaks, a mental health advocate, a clinical trial participant, and a Friedreichs Ataxia Research Alliance Ambassador. The Salem Oaks team met Dillon a number of years ago and are thrilled to have him join the hosts of Raising Rare on this emotional episode to discuss his life experiences, clinical trial …
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Cristol Barrett O’Loughlin, founder of ANGEL AID CARES, was a caregiver to 3 of her brothers early in her life; now she works to care for caregivers. Cristol is focused on the mental health and wellness services of caregivers within the rare disease community, her lived experience created a passion to help. In this episode Cristol talks about the g…
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Later this year we will be talking to Kacy Wyman and her Dad, Tim. Kacy was diagnosed with Cystinosis when she was very young and is now in college. Her family has given her more than just support. You will need to listen to find out more. For now, use May 7 to raise the awareness of cystinosis and support the research efforts to find find improved…
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Patrick Girondi: Rags to Riches to Rondone
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Our goal is to provide a place where patients and parents can express their lived experience to provide hope and guidance to others. Our guests’ experiences vary widely and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Salem Oaks or Raising Rare. Patrick Girondi is an author, songwriter, singer, founder of gene therapy company, but most impo…
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No one wants a phone call from the nurse at their children’s school. In the fall of 2020, Megan received that call and was told that her daughter, who previously showed no symptoms, had a seizure and was being taken by ambulance to the hospital. After a whirlwind of tests and doctors and not being sure what any of it meant or what was going on, the…
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Susan Geoghegan - Caregiver to Caregiver
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You are good at so many things, but you are great at taking care of your kids and don’t ever question that. Caregiver to caregiver what you are doing is hard, but you are so good at it. Raising Rare is so excited to share this episode with you. Susan Geoghegan is an amazing mom of two rare babies given the challenge in life of Mitochondrial Disease…
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Jamas LaFreniere - Corn Starch, Quality of life, and the importance of an Umbrella
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On this episode of Raising Rare, we have the opportunity of talking with Jamas LaFreniere the father of a daughter with Glycogen Storage Disorder Type 1B. Jamas discusses their diagnostic journey and how it may be different from many other rare disease families, even those with the same disorder, his disbelief in what the treatment option is and ho…
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Welcome back to Season 4 of Raising Rare. It’s great to be back as co-hosts and talk about changes in our lives, holiday struggles, and hopes for this year. We are all looking forward to new adventures, new opportunities, and new experiences as families, community members and political candidates. Sometimes just being back with good friends, who yo…
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Thank you for joining us for the first rare disease anonymous meetup. On this episode we talk to fellow podcaster and rare parent Gary David about the uncertainties of raising a rare child. Gary has used his experience as an adult child of an alcoholic to better himself as a parent, partner, professor, and person. He began attending 12 step recover…
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From what they had for lunch to some of Kevin’s most meaningful moments. In this different episode, Sanath and Brittany ask Kevin about his experience at the 2022 Global Genes Patient Advocacy Summit. While we all planned to meet there, it just was not in the cards. Kevin recorded the episode on location from the Town & Country resort in San Diego.…
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Casey McPherson: Making Music and Drugs for Rare Disease
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We spoke to Casey McPherson during the recent Global Genes Patient Advocacy Summit in San Diego. Casey’s daughter Rose has HNRNPH2 (www.tocurearose.org ) He has made the extraordinary step of starting his own lab. Even more wonderful is that this lab is committed to providing a more efficient, accessible lab capability to other parents looking to f…
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Episode FIFTY. Birthday FOUR. Patients UNCOUNTED.
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When we first met, Raghav was just one year old, and they had just gotten his diagnosis. That was 3 years and 50 episodes ago. Raghav is now 4 years old and Sanath has started a new non-profit organization called Open Treatments. In this episode we talk about both. The birthdays bring a lot of emotions. Each one is precious. At the same time, today…
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Comparing Notes: Transitions Are A Constant in Rare Disease
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What a great way to introduce our “Comparing Notes” occasional series. Who knew talking about g-tubes could be so fun? The day you hear that your child has a rare disease your life changes. And the changes just keep coming. From dietary changes, to feeding tubes, to school, and even additional diagnoses. These lead to even bigger changes like movin…
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Virtual Hugs: Empowerment, Optimism, Hope and Lifelong Connections
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The impact of having a rare child can be overwhelming. Parents can find themselves in a dark place and defeated. We welcome back Brittany Ratke who found herself in that place and was struggling. Fortunately, she learned about a fantastic group called Angel Aid that provides support and teaches self-care skills for rare moms. Brittany decided to ap…
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All Newborns. All Rare Diseases. Project GUARDIAN.
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Just imagine a world where every single newborn is screened for all known genetic diseases. In part 2 of our discussion with genomic scientist and rare dad Mike Hu, we discuss Project GUARDIAN, his effort to provide Genomic Uniform Assessment of Rare Disease In All Newborns. This visionary project could help reduce the emotional, physical, and deve…
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Mike Hu – Two Boys. One Diagnosis. We can do better.
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In the first part of our discussion with Mike Hu, we hear the story of his two sons with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type 2, or MPS2. MPS2 is also known as Hunter’s Syndrome. I first connected with Mike during a Rare Disease Week session in which he talked about a truly visionary project. We often speak with parents who find themselves thrown into this w…
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Everleigh: SETD5 Clouds Our Rainbow and Sunshine Baby
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Everleigh was the answer to Brittany and Chris’s dreams, their sunshine and rainbow baby after years of trying to become parents. Clouds started forming before Everleigh was even born. Because early ultrasounds showed that she had some signs usually associated with Down’s Syndrome, they decided against further pre-natal testing. When Everleigh was …
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Have you ever been listening to a podcast and wish you could suggest a question for the interviewer to ask? You know there is something else you want to know but the conversation just seems to miss it. We have and we wanted to try something new to address the issue. Recently, Sanath put out a request to ask him anything with the promise we would an…
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Surprising Repurposing of an Asthma Drug
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Last year, Sanath started a huge undertaking to sift through more than 4000 existing drugs to find any that might help Raghav. This high-throughput screen looked at all sorts of medications with the hope that one or more would show unexpected activity in Raghav’s very cells. And they found one. It was an approved and marketed drug, which meant it w…
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Season 3 Premier - Surprising Progress During Our Break
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As we launch Season 3, we learn about some exciting new developments for Raghav over the past few months. Some huge milestones were met while we were on our hiatus. You will need to listen – no spoilers here. We also looked back at Raising Rare in 2021. The beauty of reflecting on our last season is that we realize how much happened and how quickly…
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For two years, we have shared the amazing story of Sanath, Ramya, and their baby son Raghav. They have started a non-profit, held a scientific conference, raised funds, started an experimental drug, and even commissioned research to screen over 4000 compounds for potential use. And they have learned how to manage Raghav’s daily routine. All that ch…
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We have been able to share some exciting news in the last two episodes. Sanath and cureGPX4.org commissioned a High-Throughput Screening assay to look for compounds that improve the growth of Raghav’s cells in culture. Then we heard the exciting news that the assay found 116 hits, 43 of which are already approved for other conditions. Sanath has pu…
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Unveiling High-Throughput Screening Results
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Since the moment they got the diagnosis of Sedeghatian-type spondylometaphyseal dysplasia (SSMD), Sanath and Ramya have been on a relentless quest to find something to help their son Raghav. They have tried some off-the-counter supplements. They worked with a small biopharma to write an IND to get access to an experimental compound. And recently, t…
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Real Progress in the Search for a Treatment
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Progress. All rare disease parents want to see progress in the search for a treatment for their child. In the past two years, Sanath has worked diligently to make that progress happen and it is beginning to pay off. When we started Raising Rare, our goal was to follow the story of baby Raghav and his parents Sanath and Ramya. A second goal was to h…
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MIllions of Families... One Rare Disease Story
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"If all you do is take care of your child, you are doing it right." Daniel DeFabio In part 3 of our series with the founders of The Disorder Channel, Daniel DeFabio and Bo Bigelow, we learn how their partnership began and how it has grown. Their story is one that has several chapters. We talk about how every family affected by a rare disease has th…
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