At birth, Jessica’s physician noticed she had low levels of calcium. Genetic testing later confirmed that she had autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1 (ADH1) with a calcium receptor (CaSR) gene mutation. Jessica had complications due to ADH1 quite early in life. Before Jessica started kindergarten, she had painfully passed her first kidney stone. Fiercely protective and attentive, Jessica’s mother quit her job to take care of Jessica full-time. She researched and provided Jessica with the...

In this month’s episode of On Rare, David Rintell speaks with Cliff and Noreen, the parents of Dylan, a playful, adopted, 15-year-old living with Canavan disease. It’s a heartwarming, funny and poignant conversation about Dylan’s life, the challenges of providing constant care for a severely disabled child and the joy he brings them. As parents of a child with an ultra-rare, fatal genetic condition, Cliff and Noreen live day by day. As Cliff explains, “We focus on what we have now with Dylan...

In this month’s episode of On Rare, David Rintell speaks with Alex, 18-year-old whose mother is living with cholangiocarcinoma. It’s a moving conversation about a teenager facing the challenges of everyday life while also handling the possibility of life without her mother. We hear what it is like for this young woman to watch her mother struggle to receive a diagnosis, finally learn she has cholangiocarcinoma, and seek treatment options.

In this month’s episode of On Rare, David Rintell speaks with Erica, who is living with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Erica describes what it has been like to live with CAH and how she decided to manage her condition and live life on her own terms. With humor and honesty, she explains how she’s gone from being a rebellious child to a leader and advocate in the CAH community. Kamal Bharucha, vice president of clinical development at BridgeBio’s affiliate, Adrenas, joins the...

Andrea and Ryan’s son, Parker, is living with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). During an ultrasound in the thirty-fifth week of Andrea’s pregnancy, her doctor discovered that Parker had a cluster of tumors in his heart. These tumors, known as rhabdomyoma, were a sign that he might have TSC. Five days after he was born, Parker had heart surgery to remove these tumors and his diagnosis was confirmed. Living with TSC means that Parker and his parents never know when he might have seizures,...

Inês’ 9-year-old daughter, Clara, is living with achondroplasia. In this episode of On Rare, Inês describes what it was like to learn that her daughter has achondroplasia. She describes the steps she took to get Clara the medical care she needed in the early years of her life and how, in the midst of this stress, she remembered to enjoy being a mother to her newborn daughter. Finally, she tells us how she has watched Clara become a resilient, athletic child who has learned to compete against...

In her 20s, Chaundra believed she was living the dream with a graduate degree and a new, exciting job. Unfortunately, at the age of 29, results from a routine blood test led to a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma. Six years later, Chaundra has endured chemotherapy treatments, surgeries, biopsies, multiple clinical trials and much more. Despite her diagnosis, Chaundra is determined and driven. She has taken on new professional opportunities in different cities, has been promoted in her work,...

Brady is a five-year-old who is living with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), a rare genetic skin condition. His mother, Eileen, describes what it was like to discover that Brady has RDEB and tells us how she is both the mother of a brave, happy little boy and the nurse who causes him pain during his daily wound care. RDEB has changed their lives. Sanuj Ravindran, M.D., executive chairman of BridgeBio’s Phoenix Tissue Repair, joins the conversation to talk about the...

John and Tony are living with limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2i (LGMD2i), a rare genetic condition. And while they did not know each other before their joint podcast interview, their stories mirror each other in many ways. They tell us about their challenging and long diagnostic journeys and how LGMD2i has changed the trajectory of their lives and forced them to navigate the world in ways that are often isolating. Douglas Sproule, M.D., M.Sc., chief medical officer of BridgeBio’s ML Bio...

BridgeBio Pharma introduces On Rare, a podcast about people living with rare diseases and conditions.