Growing Miss Violet — Marion Glaser

South-central Alaska had been acting grumpy all summer — cold, wet, and uninterested in anything resembling fun. So when I saw sunshine in the extended forecast (aka the weather app briefly stopped crying), I did what any rational Alaskan would do: I panicked, overreacted, and immediately booked a remote wilderness…

Last Saturday, my 7-year-old daughter, Violet, and I volunteered with Stream Watch, an award-winning program that takes care of high-use fishing sites on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Stream Watch volunteers pick up litter, collect monofilament from recycling tubes, teach visitors about ethical angling, provide natural history education, and promote bear safety.

Over the past year, our 7-year-old daughter, Violet, had 52 infusions and more than 22 additional medical appointments for her Gaucher disease. Because we live in rural Alaska, where there is no home healthcare, the infusions take place at our local hospital. For all other appointments, we travel —…

“I am a miracle,” an 8-year-old boy stated matter-of-factly. “We are all miracles. None of us was supposed to have survived this.” He showed me a chapter written about him in a book about Gaucher disease and read the first page aloud. He was an excellent reader. I glanced…

The path to a diagnosis can be long and winding — especially when the condition is rare. Often, it takes years to solve the puzzle. Fortunately, I love a good puzzle. Our daughter, Violet, was a beautiful, seemingly healthy baby. But within a few months, we noticed signs that something…