
We are starting off September with a very inspiring story of two fathers who have children with Cystinosis. On this episode of CoRDS cast, Alyssa sits down with Clay Emerson and Stephen Jenkins. Clay is a father to 6 year old Brooke who was diagnosed with Cystinosis at just 16 months. Stephen is a father of two sons diagnosed with Cystinosis, Sam and Lars. Cystinosis is a rare genetic metabolic disease that causes the amino acid, cysteine, to accumulate within the body’s cells. The build-up can cause damage to the tissues and organs including the kidney, eyes, muscles, liver and brain. Tune in to hear about the journey that Clay and Stephen took to become strong advocates for their children and for the community.
Sep 1, 2021
28 min

On this episode of CoRS Cast, Polly sits down with Robin Henry who is a strong advocate for DDX3x and also has a daughter, Lanie, with this condition. DDX3x Is caused by a spontaneous mutation at conception. This condition Primarily affects girls due to its location on the X-chromosome, though there are affected boys. Robin continues to be a strong advocate for her daughter’s condition and started a Facebook group called Gene DDX3x. For more information regarding this condition you can visit: https://ddx3x.org/
Aug 9, 2021
13 min

On this episode of CoRDS Cast, Alyssa sits down with Breanna, who is a strong advocate for RERE Syndrome. Breanna’s daughter, Loghan is one of 30 diagnosed in the entire world with this condition. If you would like to follow Loghan and Breanna’s story, you can visit her Facebook page, Learning with Lolo. If your child has been diagnosed with RERE syndrome or you are looking for support, please visit RERE Syndrome on Facebook.
Jul 1, 2021
23 min

On this episode of CoRDS Cast, Alyssa sits down with Haley Oyler and Lindsey Noonan to discuss the rare conditions their sons have, SETBP1.
Haley is the president and founder for the SETBP1 Society which brings awareness to this condition and unites families and researchers. While working with the SETBP1 Society, Haley also has a son with this condition and was diagnosed about 5 years ago with little information out there. Her hard work has paved the way for families to find a diagnosis at a young age.
Lindsay has a son with SETBP1 and was diagnosed at 7 months. Due to being diagnoses at such a young age, they were able to start early working on some of the issues that go along with this condition. Because of people like Haley, Lindsey’s son was one of the youngest children diagnosed with SETBP1.
This year on June 12th, 2021 the SETBP1 Society will participate in the Virtual Million Dollar Bike Ride. This annual festival brings together rare disease families, friends and supporters to raise funds for rare disease research and to spread awareness of rare disease. For more information please visit: https://www.setbp1.org/mdbr/
If you would like more information on SETBP1, you can visit: www.setbp1.org.
Thank you for listening!
May 28, 2021
28 min

On this month’s episode of CoRDS Cast, Alyssa sits down with Caroline Yiu. Caroline’s son Alex, was diagnosed with a very rare neurodegenerative disorder called NEDAMSS (Neurodevelopmental Disorder with Regression, Abnormal Movements, Loss of Speech, and Seizures.) This condition is caused by a spontaneous mutation in the IRF2BPL gene. Caroline’s family went on a 10 year journey to find a diagnosis for her son Alex. Caroline is also an advocate for families with children fighting chronic complex medical issues without a diagnosis but also those with rare diseases. For more information on resourses about the challenges of being undaignosed or diagnosed with a rare disorder you can visit: https://www.cureundx.com/. To hear more about Alex’s journey, please visit: https://www.alexsodyssey.com/
May 10, 2021
24 min

In today’s episode Alyssa speaks with Karen Dolins who is part of the Maple Syrup Urine Disease Family Support Group (MSUD FSG). Karen is a parent of an individual who has a diagnosis of maple syrup urine disease. Being a registered dietician, she was aware of this condition prior to her child receiving the diagnosis. We will listen to learn how Karen has had such success with her registry along with learning more about this condition.
Mar 5, 2021
26 min

In this episode of CoRDS Cast, Alyssa interviews David Longman from the Tango2 Research Foundation, and Dr. Michael Sacher, who is a professor in the biology department at Concordia University. TANGO2 itself is a protein coding gene on chromosome 22 (22q11.21). TANGO2 has only recently been identified as a gene that contributes to human disease so there is not yet a deep understanding of the specifics around the underlying pathology and biochemical pathways affected. David is a loving father of a 3 year old who has Tango2. David works closely with researchers such as Dr. Sacher, and does great work with his group to raise money for research and to raise awareness for his son’s condition. To learn more please visit: https://tango2research.org/
Feb 5, 2021
22 min

In this episode of CoRDS Cast, Polly sits down with Tabitha Frank, who is the founder of the Endosalpingiosis Foundation, Inc. After Tabitha was told that she had endometriosis and would never be able to have a child, she got pregnant with her son. Complications started to arise after her pregnancy and she would soon be diagnosed with endosalpingiosis. Tabitha will not only discuss her diagnosis on this episode, but will also talk about the mental strain it puts on women who have this condition. Her mission is to spread awareness and advance research for endosalpingiosis. Enjoy!
Jan 5, 2021
32 min

On this episode of CoRDS Cast, Alyssa sits down with Kristen Groseclose and Dr. Carlos Prada with the Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation. Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome is a rare condition which is caused by mutations in the MTOR gene (mechanistic target of rapamycin), found at chromosome location 1p36. Kristen is the president of the Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation and she also has a son who had gone 15 years without receiving a diagnosis. Dr. Prada is a clinical scientist with board certifications in pediatrics, genetics, and biochemical genetics. Due to the advancement of genetic testing and efforts from medical professionals like Dr. Prada, children are being diagnosed at a much younger age. The Groseclose’s family have a hope to build a structure of a foundation that will impact families to come. Enjoy!
Dec 3, 2020
29 min

On this episode of CoRDS Cast, Alyssa sits down with the Chloe Barnes Advisory Council on Rare Diseases. We will be speaking with Erica Barnes who is the co-founder of the organization, Karl Nelson who is a Physician Assistant and also is diagnosed with a rare condition called ectodermal dysplasia, and Dr. Kris Ann Schultz who is a pediatric oncologist at Children’s Minnesota. The Chloe Barnes Advisory Council on Rare Diseases envisions a world where every Minnesota citizen living with a rare disease has access to a timely diagnosis, comprehensive care, and an effective treatment. Their mission is to provide advice on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education related to rare diseases. This will be a very informative episode you will not want to miss!
If you have any questions or would like more information on the Chloe Barnes Advisory Council on Rare Diseases, please visit: https://cbacraredisease.org/
Nov 3, 2020
26 min
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