Apr 24

Apr 24 Tis the season

Tis the season when my non-profit involvement and fundraising gears up. For those unaccustomed with non-profit meetings and fundraisers, the bulk of them tend to occur in the spring and fall. Cue all the committee and board meetings, concerts and speeches. I am writing this from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network Symposium in Boston where I am listening to researchers, clinicians, doctors, and patients share experiences, best practices, and latest technological advancements for the undiagnosed community.

Oct 17

Oct 17 In another world...

Kelly Cervantes

Today is Adelaide’s 10th birthday. In another world she is healthy and in fourth grade. This weekend we will have a small birthday party for her as we always do, sing her happy birthday, and release ladybugs. But I wanted to do more. So, in the face of scientific funding cuts at the NIH, I’ve decided to do an online fundraiser for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network Foundation (UDNF) in Adelaide’s name.

Sep 12

Sep 12 What it's all for

Kelly Cervantes

The current rhetoric is not going to simmer down on its own. There will have to be a tipping point, and I don’t want to think of how many more lives will be lost in the fall or leading up to it.

Yet, as all this happens in the background, we continue to live our lives. That dissonance alone is enough to spike my anxiety.

Jun 13

Jun 13 This land

Kelly Cervantes

This week was my daughter’s end of kindergarten ceremony at school. It began with the children filing into the school auditorium to Taylor Swift’s “Never Grow Up” playing over the loudspeaker, which could only just be heard over the crying and sniffling parents. And then we were called to rise, to start the event the same way our children do every morning, by reciting the pledge of allegiance.

May 23

May 23 The mirror of worth

Kelly Cervantes

As I heal from what I hope has been a successful surgery, I am grateful to my friend Bud, AKA Emma’s dad, for offering to fill in for me on the blog this week. With the potential cuts to both Medicaid and the NIH on the horizon, Bud's insights provide a much-needed reflection on how we perceive worth. While his words are philosophical, the consequences of perceived worth are a reality for millions.

Mar 14

Mar 14 What is happening here

Kelly Cervantes

This week I’m pivoting from my normal blog style to provide an update on US government funded medical research. With so many eye-catching headlines, there hasn’t been a lot of attention paid to this corner of the government recently – but you should know what’s happening here.

Jan 31

Jan 31 WTF

Kelly Cervantes

Just when you thought the news couldn’t possibly get any worse, each day this week outdid the one before. I’ve felt deep sorrow, anger, fear, exhaustion, helplessness, a numbing, and an intense lack of motivation. Anything beyond curling up under a blanket with a screen or a book felt like strenuous effort. What was wrong with me? I couldn’t keep going on like this! And then it finally dawned on me that I was going through active grief.

Jan 24

Jan 24 An ode to joy

Kelly Cervantes

Well folks, 2025 has made her presence known. Personally, I reached a level of doom scrolling this week not seen since the spring of 2020. The world feels heavy and overwhelming and it is difficult to determine where to prioritize concern and focus action. And then my friend Tamika, reminded me about the importance of joy and I think you might need this reminder as well.

Nov 8

Nov 8 The morning after

Kelly Cervantes

We made coffee and packed lunches like always. I showered and got dressed like always. We got everyone out the door and off to school like always. The actions were routine, the scents and sounds familiar, but inside I felt anything but. No, that’s not true – I knew this feeling all too well, it was grief and it hurt.

Nov 1

Nov 1 Election season survival

Kelly Cervantes

The election coverage is giving me serious anxiety and given how long it could take to determine the results, I get the impression it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Feeling like I have little control over the future is not a new feeling for me. So, I suppose it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that I resorted to a few time-tested tactics.

Aug 2

Aug 2 Product of grief

Kelly Cervantes

So much of the contention I see in the country right now feels like the product of grief. Not grief as in the loss of a person, but grief as in the loss of an idealized future. Grief as a resistance to the societal changes that are occurring at a faster rate than ever before. And the anger that can surface when we our grief is left unchecked and unseen.

Jul 26

Jul 26 Unblinded hope

Kelly Cervantes

When I first read on Sunday, that Joe Biden was stepping aside like many I felt hopeful. When it became clear that Kamala Harris would be stepping up, the injection of energy, unity, and determination was intoxicating. I’ve enjoyed letting excitement take over because hope feels good. But as I became more hopeful, as I allowed myself to envision a Harris presidency, I felt a surge of anxiety bordering on panic.