Parenting

A woman with brown hair is hugging her son, who is in a hospital bed.

A Mother’s Day Shout Out from An EDS Mom and The Producer of Complicated 

As a parent, it is hard to witness your child suffering with symptoms and physical pain. As mothers, we are often looked to, to make everything better, right? When my kids started having medical issues, I quickly learned that there was no parenting book to teach how to comfort and support your child when an […]

A boy playing soccer in a green garden surrounded by trees. Title: The Game, a short film by Charlotte Gwinner

Filmmaker Suri Ellerton, Her EDS Journey & New Film Highlighting The Challenges Of Disabled Parents

Suri Ellerton is a filmmaker, has three children, and lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and various comorbid conditions. In this interview with Chronic Pain Partners’ Karina Sturm, Ellerton shares her EDS journey, what it means to be a disabled parent, and how her own experiences relate to her latest film project, “The Game.”  Sturm: Hi, Suri! […]

A young girl with a stuffed animal zebra on the right; an illustration of the girl on the right in watercolor style on the left.

Pey Carter and Daughter Abigail Speak About Their EDS Children’s Book 

Pey Carter, a public speaker and author from Eau Claire, WI, and their daughter, Abigail Bailey, have a children’s book about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in the works: Bendy Bones and Stretchy Skin: An Ehlers-Danlos Story. In addition, Pey just finished a Kickstarter for an Ehlers-Danlos coloring book and is working on a memoir of their own. […]

An illustration of a dancing zebra

Zebra Mamas: Parenting a Child With EDS

The Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) are a collection of heritable connective tissue disorders* that affect many organ systems and often come with several other conditions. It’s a genetic condition, which means many families manage the lives of several zebras simultaneously. Living with complex conditions such as EDS as an adult is challenging at the best of […]

A person sitting at a table with a laptop in front. Next to the person is a cup and a piece of paper with a pen.

Two Students Share How They Navigate School With EDS

In last month’s article, “4 Tips on How To Navigate School as a Student with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome,” we took a very subjective look at the issue of attending high school while living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This month, we wanted to hear from two teens navigating the school system with EDS, Amicie Koslow and Lily Hirschson. […]

Kimby Maxson, a woman with curly brown hair is standing in a bright room with an orchid in the background.

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 […]

A picture of a young girl with brown hair and a pink tie in her hair sitting at a table writing.

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 […]

A woman on a couch reading a book while the sun shines through a large window.

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, […]