There are varying degrees of fear that parents experience while raising a child with CAH. These fears are often from the challenges of medicating their child properly to ensure their safety from a looming adrenal crisis.  Understandably, anxiety and worry can be off the charts. But Cares Foundation wants you to feel rest assured, with the proper attention to detail and care management those with CAH can live a typical life!  And Joey, is living proof.

Join Dina and Stephanie as they speak with Joey a sophomore at Duke University, who claims that trusting yourself is one of the keys to living with CAH successfully as a collage coed. He explains how he has made it possible to experience college, away from home, taking classes and enjoying his time in the dorm with friends just as a typical student would! Joey is an exceptional, resilient and responsible 19 year old who unlocks his secrets to transitioning from being a child to becoming a young adult living on his own with CAH.

Despite her difficult journey, Lesley, who grew up in a children's home in England, continues her explanation of how she moved to the states and got the help she needed after living most of her life not knowing she had CAH. This is the second of a 2 part series where Lesley wraps up her inspiring story of survival, connections and giving back. 

When Lesley's mom was unable to care for her, she was given up to the courts of England. Join Stephanie and Dina as Lesley shares her lowest of lows, love and loss, misinformation and surgeries she was never told why she had. Living most of her life unknowingly with CAH, Lesley’s is a story of survival, victory, resilience, giving back and feeling lucky. 

Connecting with someone who knows your fears and challenges is a crusade Dina Matos, Executive Director of Cares Foundation and Stephanie Erb, long time career actress, advocate and mom of a grown child with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia have been on together. They bring us this compelling first episode of CAH Pulse, a podcast born and bred to educate, connect and give hope to those living with this challenging rare condition. Here Stephanie tells her shocking story of adopting a child at birth with CAH, a rare genetic disease, and becoming a strong advocate for others with the condition and Dina who explains after hearing a parent ask "how long is my child going to live?" one too many times, exactly why she has such heartfelt dedication to helping those living with CAH.  After hearing Dina and Stephanie's introduction, you will be left with a world of hope for these patients as well as the message that a CAH child can indeed live a full, typical and beautiful life. Join Dina and Stephanie on their first of many conversations to illuminate the value of this incredible CAH village and how there is always room for more to come along for the ride.