The Beginner's Guide to Walking — Jennifer V.

Updated banner for Jennifer V.'s column The Beginner's Guide to Walking

Jennifer V. (she/her) received her diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder — aquaporin-4 positive — in early 2010. Residing in Toronto, Canada, Jennifer actively manages her condition, which is often unseen, by maintaining a busy schedule. She serves as a professor at George Brown College, works as an HR consultant, and is a passionate patient advocate. Jennifer also plays the roles of a devoted mother to her daughter, a pug’s loving guardian (her fur baby), a dedicated wife, caring sister to three siblings, and a protective daughter. In moments of sleeplessness, Jennifer finds solace in pug photos and videos.

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I may have the dragon fruit of diseases, but let’s not compare apples to oranges

If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “I shouldn’t complain to you,” I could probably fund my own research grant. It usually happens right after someone shares something stressful, such as their work drama, tough dental work, or a recent bad infection, and then suddenly they remember…

Jennifer van Amerom

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Why I Still Snowboard With a Disability

Gravity is my friend. Even if I’m tired, gravity will pull my snowboard and me down the mountain. I like to ride alone because I need to listen to music, which I only play in one ear so I can hear my surroundings. During the offseason, I build music…

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How Pets Can Benefit People With Disabilities

Sometimes in life, the easiest decisions make the greatest impact. It probably wasn’t reasonable for a new couple to get a dog together, but that’s exactly how Marmaduke came into our lives. A wild idea led to an internet search, and as luck would have it, we were able to…

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Why We Discuss Disability With Our Young Child

In my family, I am the third child of four, the daughter of proud, immigrant parents. I grew up in small towns until I finally relocated to Toronto in my early 20s. Growing up, I only knew one kid with an illness, and she entered my life as quickly as…

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Turn Up the Volume, but Only Until It Hurts: My NMOSD Diagnosis Story

I will always love the feeling of a good bass line, the way the sound escapes concert speakers and vibrates through my entire body. It’s poetic justice that this feeling can now trigger painful spasms, a symptom of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). My husband (then fiancé) and I had…


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