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I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Bernadette Scarduzio pop up in the final moments of Episode 3 of the sixth season of “Orange Is the New Black.” Her character has no dialogue, but she and her scooter are on screen long enough to make an impression…

The 2013 documentary film “Bernadette” was a milestone for Bernadette Scarduzio in many ways. It wasn’t just the first movie project she was a part of, it also was a coming out for her. The documentary marked the first time she came out as gay and her first time…

I recently read a post on social media about “mom confessions”: the good, bad, and ugly things we do as moms. Trust me, I have my fair share of those confessions. I began to think about it in terms of my Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), the good, bad, and ugly…

A few days ago, my sister messaged me on Facebook about a documentary regarding Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) called “Bernadette.” I hadn’t heard about it before, but because I had nothing else planned for the evening, I decided to check it out. It’s a touching film, but what struck me…

This week at Friday night services, my rabbi’s sermon was about the Torah portion Leviticus 14:1-15:33 and how people were excluded because of illness. He spoke about the isolation and exclusion caused by their illness. This got me thinking about how those of us with disabilities can…

Until recently, I never had intentionally ventured to learn more about my disability. In retrospect, I was spectacularly uninterested in this aspect of myself. As a child, I think I felt like I inherently knew all I needed to know about Charcot-Marie-Tooth by merit of having it. I knew…

When you have a chronic illness, finding a doctor who is knowledgeable about your condition can be a long process. Depending on your disease it may be difficult to locate a medical expert close to where you live. I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) and following my diagnosis, I…

Topics such as setting goals and being more mindful have been on my mind recently. And that’s not by coincidence. A few weeks ago, I met with a friend who happens to be a licensed therapist specializing in marriage and family therapy. I had never talked with her about her…

I heard Brad Paisley’s “Letter to Me” the other day. It got me thinking about what I would tell my younger self about growing up with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) 1a. Dear younger self, First of all, everything will work out. I know it does not seem like it,…

My family members are traveling from around the country this week to gather for a celebration of my grandmother’s 100th birthday. We’re all excited about the event, and though I’m biased, I think my grandmother is a special woman worthy of a massive celebration. Standing at less than 5 feet…