A famous rabbi’s son died of a disease like the one in Broadway’s ‘Kimberly Akimbo’
Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote ‘When Bad Things Happen to Good People’ after his son died of progeria. Here's why his daughter hasn't seen the Tony-winning show
Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote ‘When Bad Things Happen to Good People’ after his son died of progeria. Here's why his daughter hasn't seen the Tony-winning show
The genetic disease predominantly affects Ashkenazi Jews
The coronavirus got to Rachel Bialer’s kidney before she could. Earlier this year, the Port Washington, Long Island woman had hoped that a 27-year-old social worker in San Diego, Calif., might be a compatible kidney donor for her. But surging coronavirus infections in San Diego make it unlikely the social worker will be able to…
23andMe, the genetic testing service co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, has won landmark approval to administer tests for risk of developing 10 hereditary illnesses. In a new ruling, the Food and Drug Administration reversed its 2013 decision to deny the company approval. Included among the conditions it screens are Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, celiac disease and…
For six months up to April 2015, Tom Frieden, 55, felt the weight of America’s panic. As the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Frieden was the government’s principal contact in stopping the Ebola virus epidemic in America. Starting in 2013, Ebola had ravaged West Africa, killing thousands. Proving difficult to quarantine,…
For three days in April, about 70 families whose lives have been upended by Tay-Sachs disease gathered in San Diego for the annual National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases conference. The event — which attracted families caring for children with Tay-Sachs, as well as those who have lost loved ones to the degenerative disease that claims…
Any Jewish mother thinks her baby boy is special. But Amanda Zablocki’s son is one in a million — and in one of the most heart-wrenching ways imaginable. Idan Zablocki is 1 year old. Three months ago he was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Hyper IgM syndrome, a rare immune deficiency that actually affects…
Sephardic and Mizrahi Disorders Routine screening for Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews includes carrier screening for cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular atrophy as well as for hemoglobinopathies (such as beta thalassemia — see below). The following list includes a selection of some conditions that are more common in different Sephardic and Mizrahi populations. More specialized screening…
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