The Road to Enrolling in a Clinical Trial
The chat message came late in the evening just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2018. My wife, Judy, and I lay in bed staring at our phones, trying to figure out how we…
Richard E. Poulin III is an American currently working as Head of Middle School for an international school in Bangkok, Thailand. He is also the president of the nonprofit organization Teach RARE. In 2018 his newborn daughter, Rylae-Ann, was diagnosed with the ultra-rare disease, aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency. Richard shares his journey and aims to provide caregivers with strategies and tips to improve their family’s journey.
Every April, as the blazing sun rises higher in the Thai sky, buckets are filled, water guns are loaded, and smiles stretch wide across faces. For most families, Songkran, the Thai New Year, is…
Read moreThe chat message came late in the evening just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2018. My wife, Judy, and I lay in bed staring at our phones, trying to figure out how we…
Late in the evening, a car-hailing service picked us up, and with a hurried but firm voice, we told the driver to go quickly to the emergency room. We crossed the island streets to…
The taxi came to a halt in front of our house on Sunday morning. The windows were tinted, but I knew who was inside. Out she came, a thin Asian woman holding a sack…
Every time doctors attempted to provide a diagnosis for our daughter, Rylae-Ann, we immediately would join the relevant support communities, start discussing things with other families, and scour the internet for interventions, only to…
Singapore, a tropical island located near the equator at just over 1 degree north latitude, is known for its lush gardens, warm waters, and year-round sunshine. As idyllic as this paradise is, it was…
During our family’s diagnostic journey to find answers, we were prescribed various medications. After discovering that our daughter, Rylae-Ann, had aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, we hoped a new set…
Things change, there’s no denying that. But when you’re handed the unexpected news that your baby, who was born healthy, has a debilitating disease, change can be life-altering. But change isn’t always bad. One…
Once we started joining aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency communities, families began reaching out, offering support, and providing information. As our knowledge about the disorder grew, my wife and I began applying what…
When a parent sees their child gripped with fear or anxiety, we immediately take action to reassure them that everything is all right and they are safe. However, with children who have aromatic l-amino…
We struggled to comprehend the news and reeled from the shock when our daughter, Rylae-Ann, was diagnosed with a rare disease known as aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. We tried our best to…
Our daughter, Rylae-Ann, has medical records scattered around because of multiple visits to the hospital, traveling to meet doctors, and moving homes. Those afflicted by aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency…
We have seen several doctors in various countries in order to provide our daughter, Rylae-Ann, with the best healthcare and most beneficial checkups. We have settled on two doctors, and are always open to…
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