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Kimby Maxson And The Bendy Twisty Zebra: The Story Behind The Book
The story of Rose, a young girl zebra, is the heart of Kimby Maxson’s children’s book The Bendy Twisty Zebra. Rose, her friends, and the book’s encouraging message are all based on Kimby’s real-life experiences navigating the world of doctors, hospitals, and diagnoses for her daughter, Jade. Kimby, a massage therapist and bodywork specialist from […]
Parental Preparation for Securing Accommodations at K-12 School for Children with the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes
Please note: the author is based in the United States, so these are resources available in the US. Check with your school or local government education office or website for processes available in your country. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the law in the United States that ensures every child in public […]
4 Tips on How To Navigate School as a Student with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) as a high school student can be especially challenging. The normal struggle of balancing academics, extracurriculars, and social life, all while trying to figure out who you are as a person, is overwhelming for most teenagers and is made more complicated when having to manage a chronic illness. Many times, […]
Unaccommodating Accommodations
I want to be okay. Some days I am. But some days, it feels like my words slosh about disjointed. My eyelids are heavy shades that won’t stay open. Pain suffuses every joint in my body, and the throbbing in my head makes it impossible to tolerate light or noise. Day-to-day is unpredictable, sometimes moment […]
Book Review: The Bendy Twisty Zebra by Kimby Maxson
Move over, Dr. Seuss! Make room on children’s bookshelves for The Bendy Twisty Zebra written by Kimby Maxson and illustration by Ron Houchens. With colorful characters, catchy rhymes, and a heart-felt message, The Bendy Twisty Zebra brings to mind some of Dr. Seuss’s famous books. While children of all ages (even grown-up children!) can enjoy […]
Surgery Prep: Meeting Your EDS Hospital Stay Needs
How to be prepared & stay safe when having a hospital stay with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) This article will give an overview of ways you can prepare for a hospital stay when you have EDS, as well as tips on surgical prep and your own patient advocacy. People with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) often need surgery […]
Advocate Nthabeleng Ramoeli on her EDS journey, EDS care in Lesotho, and why she established an NGO to help all rare disease patients
For our January newsletter, journalist Karina Sturm spoke with rare disease advocate Nthabeleng Ramoeli. Ramoeli was born in Lesotho, a country encircled by South Africa, and lives with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and many other comorbid conditions. The young woman relentlessly fights for improved access to health care for rare disease patients in her home country and […]
Author Jessica MacLean on how writing saved her and what she learned from her ancestors
For January’s Chronic Pain Partners post (our monthly newsletter), journalist Karina Sturm spoke with author and fellow EDS warrior, Jessica MacLean. Despite never being able to hold a pencil correctly, MacLean was first published during high school, and she became a writer. The Arizona native’s recently published book, Arizona Rain, tells the stories of her […]
