I sat in rapt attention in the dim theater, taking in every sound and motion on the stage in front…
Valerie Tharp Byers
Valerie Tharp Byers, EdD, is an education researcher living in Spring, Texas, with her husband, Tim, and children, Will and Samantha. Valerie became a rare disease advocate in 2015 following Will’s diagnosis of Sanfilippo syndrome, a degenerative and fatal genetic disorder. Valerie is also a board member of the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, where she works to raise the public profile of Sanfilippo syndrome to support research and clinical trials. With “Plot Twist,” Valerie hopes that her reflections on working through life’s numerous hiccups will make readers feel less alone as they face their own challenges.
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Articles by Valerie Tharp Byers
It was a cool spring night in early 2015 when we received the worst news of our lives. Our son,…
“Do we get to go to the Halloween party next week, Momma?” my 10-year-old daughter asked the other day. “We…
Standing in front of my mirror, I fluffed my freshly curled hair. “Well,” I murmured, “let’s see how this goes.”…
It’s another season of chaos in our house. I don’t know why I’m surprised. Chaos is our normal. Life with…
About once a month, a group of friends and I share our latest favorite memes. It’s always a witty and…
Dear Husband, I love you. I appreciate you. You don’t have to go out of town the week before…
To many of you, it’s May. To those of you with school-aged children, it’s “Maycember” — that hectic…
I have a bad habit of being right. If you ask my husband, he will jokingly confirm that he avoids…
As February bleeds into March, which then bleeds into April, our family is caught up in a slew of emotionally…