The Journey of Beautiful Destinations — Richard E. Poulin III

Genetic testing has gained much attention thanks to commercial products that provide people with details about their family’s origin. With a simple home kit, you can mail off samples and receive materials about your DNA. However, for families experiencing…

My wife and I would not have accomplished as much as we have without our support network. These people have played a critical role in helping us manage our daughter Rylae-Ann’s aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. I used…

Before our daughter, Rylae-Ann, was diagnosed with aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, the telltale sign that something was amiss were the cyclical spells that began at 3 months old and occurred every three days. We initially thought they…

I had read a guide for dads before my daughter was born, so I knew what to expect before that first bowel movement. Called meconium, it comes in the first few days and is typically sticky, thick, and dark green…

Before my daughter, Rylae-Ann, showed symptoms of aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, we had her in the ocean and the pool. I grew up on an island, where water activities were never far. Water has many healing properties…

Aspiration, a condition in which food or liquid enters the airway instead of the esophagus, requires our constant attention when caring for children with aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. Due to the motor and…

When I first became concerned that my daughter Rylae-Ann wasn’t reaching her developmental milestones, and that her limbs and eyes were moving strangely, I took to the internet to try to figure out what was happening. I came across…

When I first learned about the severe symptoms associated with aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, standing seemed like an impossibility for my now 3-year-old daughter, Rylae-Ann. However, physical therapists told me about a device that makes standing possible…

As a young boy, I used to lie in bed and play in my room imagining that I was a hero or that I had accomplished something great. Maybe everybody has had dreams like this. In my daydream, I…