Couverture de Once Upon A Gene

Once Upon A Gene

Once Upon A Gene

De : Effie Parks
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As a new parent of a child with a rare genetic syndrome, I was lost. There was no guide. There was no rulebook. This was not what I had imagined. As I navigated my way through this new reality, I realized something that should have been simple, but was not. A truth that had always been there, but that I had lost sight of for a time - I am not alone. And neither are you. These are the stories of my family, and of families like ours. These are the stories of how we have persevered, cried, bonded, and grown. These are the stories of children who have been told that they cannot, and that have proved the world wrong.© 2019 - 2022 Effie Parks Parentalité Relations Sciences sociales
Épisodes
  • ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 277: A Mother’s Son Was Diagnosed with the Rare, Debilitating Disease LMNA-Related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (L-CMD) — A Mother’s Story of DNR Orders and How Those Decisions Change Over Time with Hannah Lowe

    ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 277: A Mother’s Son Was Diagnosed with the Rare, Debilitating Disease LMNA-Related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (L-CMD) — A Mother’s Story of DNR Orders and How Those Decisions Change Over Time with Hannah Lowe
    Jul 2 2026
    Hannah Lowe is back on the show. In this episode, Effie and Hannah discuss do not resuscitate orders for children with rare diseases. Hannah shares her experience with her son Austin and how the conversation around DNRs came up for their family. They talk about the decision-making process, how feelings around these choices can change over time, and why these conversations matter in the rare disease community. The episode also touches on planning ahead, the emotional side of these decisions, and the importance of having these talks before a crisis hits. In this episode: Hannah’s update on Austin and the L-CMD Research Foundation How the DNR conversation first came up for their family The personal and practical side of these decisions Why more open discussion is needed in the community Links: Hannah’s first appearance on the show (Episode 108): effieparks.com/podcast/episode-108-hannah-lowe-lcmd-research-foundation L-CMD Research Foundation Instagram Listen now and subscribe for more conversations on rare disease life, advocacy, and family stories.
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    41 min
  • ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 276: His Two Sons Were Diagnosed with Coats Plus Syndrome — One Father’s Story of Rare Disease Advocacy and Brotherhood with Bryan Docobo

    ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 276: His Two Sons Were Diagnosed with Coats Plus Syndrome — One Father’s Story of Rare Disease Advocacy and Brotherhood with Bryan Docobo
    Jun 11 2026
    Bryan Docobo — attorney, father, rare disease advocate, and founder of the Coats Plus Foundation. Bryan opens up about the devastating journey of losing his four-year-old son Ethan to Coats Plus Syndrome (a rare telomere disorder caused by a CTC1 gene mutation) in June 2024, while fiercely fighting for his older son Liam, who is also battling the same condition. Bryan shares the pre-diagnosis struggles, the shocking moment of Liam’s grand mal seizure that led to the diagnosis, the science behind the disease (telomere dysfunction affecting blood vessels, brain, eyes, and GI tract), and the proactive steps his family has taken. These include pushing for Avastin (anti-VEGF) treatment that has stopped brain calcifications and leukodystrophy progression in Liam, stem cell infusions showing clinical improvements, and an ambitious push for personalized gene therapy (requiring $3–5 million in funding).He also discusses the profound grief that transformed into purpose, including losing 80 pounds, deepening his spirituality, and founding the Luminary Tribe — a growing men’s support community in South Florida (with plans to expand) focused on vulnerability, connection, and helping high-achieving men show up stronger for their families. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, advocacy, fatherhood, and turning unimaginable pain into meaningful action that could help not just Coats Plus families but the broader rare disease and longevity communities. Links: Coats Foundation LUMENARY Instagram Bryan's Instagram
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    41 min
  • ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 275: How AI is Making Personalized Therapies Faster, Cheaper, and Accessible for the World’s Rarest Diseases with Steven Ringel

    ONCE UPON A GENE – EPISODE 275: How AI is Making Personalized Therapies Faster, Cheaper, and Accessible for the World’s Rarest Diseases with Steven Ringel
    May 28 2026
    Get your free Nome report at www.nome.bio – Families can upload a genetic report and receive a free personalized therapy feasibility report in minutes. In this powerful conversation, Effie Parks sits down with Steven Ringel — patient, sibling of a patient, founder of the Kizuna Foundation, and CEO of Nome to discuss how AI is revolutionizing personalized medicine for the smallest rare disease communities. Diagnosed at 17 with an ultra-rare inherited retinal disease caused by mutations in the KIZ gene (and later learning his younger sister Natalie shares the exact same diagnosis), Steven refused to accept the doctors’ advice to “learn braille and prepare to go blind.” Instead, he built a 501(c)(3) to develop custom gene therapies and then launched Nome, an AI operating system that makes personalized therapies faster, cheaper, and accessible even to the tiniest patient advocacy groups. Since the original recording, Nome has exploded: they closed a $2.7 million seed round and their AI platform is now live at nome.bio Steven shares the deeply human side of rare disease, the operational bottlenecks that hold back small patient-led efforts, and how Nome’s AI acts as the “quarterback” to coordinate experts, manufacturers, and regulators — turning “maybe” into clear, actionable next steps. If you or a loved one has a genetic diagnosis and you’re wondering whether a personalized therapy could be possible, head over to www.nome.bio right now and upload your genetic report. It’s completely free, takes just minutes, and could open doors you didn’t even know existed. Steven and the Nome team built this tool because every patient deserves to know their options — no matter how rare their condition is. Thanks for listening to Once Upon a Gene! If this episode lit a spark, share it with a fellow rare disease family and help us spread the word about Nome. See you in the next episode!
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    45 min
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