These Kids Can't Wait

Erin Hubbard
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to These Kids Can't Wait. A podcast that brings you closer to researchers, doctors, and advocates working to drive progress and raise awareness for rare diseases.

  1. Episode 13: Oliver’s Story

    May 18

    Episode 13: Oliver’s Story

    In this episode of These Kids Can’t Wait, we hear Oliver’s story through the perspective of his mom as she shares their family’s journey navigating life with rare disease. From the challenges and uncertainty to the moments of strength, resilience, and hope, this conversation offers an honest look into the realities rare disease families face every day. Every story shared helps raise awareness, build connection, and move us one step closer to a treatment. 🎧 Listen now Learn more about The Lost Enzyme Project: 🔗 https://tlep.org (https://tlep.org/) Support the mission and follow along: 🔗 https://thelostenzymeproject.org/podcast/

    58 min
  2. Episode 12: An Update from The Lost Enzyme Project

    Mar 27

    Episode 12: An Update from The Lost Enzyme Project

    Episode 12: An Update from The Lost Enzyme Project The founders of The Lost Enzyme Project share the journey to develop a treatment for Beta-Mannosidosis—how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. From early momentum to real progress, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to move a rare disease treatment forward—the challenges, the milestones, and the urgency driving it all. Because for our kids, waiting isn’t an option. 🎧 Listen now Learn more about The Lost Enzyme Project: 🔗 https://tlep.org (https://tlep.org/) Support the mission and follow along: 🔗 https://thelostenzymeproject.org/podcast/

    26 min
  3. Episode 11: RARE MAMAS-Empowering Strategies for Navigating Your Child’s Rare Disease

    11/18/2025

    Episode 11: RARE MAMAS-Empowering Strategies for Navigating Your Child’s Rare Disease

    🎙️ Hosts: Erin Hubbard 🎤 Guest: Nikki Mcintosh 📅 Release Date: 11/17/2025 🔬 Topic: RARE MAMAS-Empowering Strategies for Navigating Your Child’s Rare Disease Episode Overview In this episode of These Kids Can’t Wait, host Erin Hubbard speaks with Nikki McIntosh, author of Rare Mamas: Empowering Strategies for Navigating Your Child’s Rare Disease and creator of the Rare Mamas Rising podcast. Nikki shares the mission behind her work. Providing resources, connection, and emotional support for parents raising medically complex or rare disease children. She reflects on the tools and mindsets she wished she had earlier in her journey and discusses how community, storytelling, and lived experience shaped her advocacy. Nikki also opens up about her life as a “rare mama” to her son with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and how that path inspired her to help others find clarity, connection, and strength. Key Takeaways ✔️ The purpose behind the Rare Mamas Rising podcast and guidebook ✔️ How storytelling and shared experiences reduce isolation in the rare disease community ✔️ The evolving landscape of SMA care and treatment ✔️ The emotional and practical challenges of navigating complex care systems ✔️ Nikki’s mission to empower parents through education, mindset, and community Resources & Links Raremamas.com https://www.instagram.com/rare_mamas/ 🌐 Learn more: thelostenzymeproject.org 📢 Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lost-enzyme-project https://www.instagram.com/thelostenzymeproject/ https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lost-Enzyme-Project/61551541563692/ 📖Books Mentioned in the Episode: Rare Mamas: Empowering Strategies for Navigating Your Child’s Rare Disease. raremamas.com/book 📩 Contact us: Email us at info@tlep.org Producer: alex@tlep.org Subscribe & Stay Connected Stay informed by subscribing to These Kids Can’t Wait on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or Amazon music. If you find this episode valuable, please leave a review to help raise awareness for rare disease research.

    35 min
  4. Episode 10: Finding Strength in Community

    10/08/2025

    Episode 10: Finding Strength in Community

    Episode 10 – Finding Strength in Community 🎙️ Hosts: Erin Hubbard 🎤 Guest: Cyndi Frank 📅 Release Date: 10/07/2025 🔬 Topic: Resilience, Advocacy, and Rare Disease Awareness 🎧 Episode Overview In this episode of These Kids Can’t Wait, host Erin Hubbard speaks with Cyndi Frank, a leading advocate in the Gaucher disease community. In recognition of Gaucher Disease Awareness Month, Cyndi shares her journey of raising awareness, connecting advocates, and building strong partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. Together, they discuss how collaboration, transparency, and communication between patients, advocates, and industry can drive meaningful progress in rare disease research and treatment. Key Takeaways ✔️ The significance of Gaucher Disease Awareness Month ✔️ How advocates and industry can work together for better outcomes ✔️ The importance of trust and communication in rare disease partnerships ✔️ Challenges and opportunities in building sustainable collaboration Resources & Links Gaucher Community Alliance: https://www.gauchercommunity.org/ 🌐 Learn more: thelostenzymeproject.org 📢 Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lost-enzyme-project https://www.instagram.com/thelostenzymeproject/ https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lost-Enzyme-Project/61551541563692/ 📩 Contact us: Email us at admin@thelostenzymeproject.org Producer: alex@thelostenzymeproject.org Subscribe & Stay Connected Stay informed by subscribing to These Kids Can’t Wait on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or Amazon music. If you find this episode valuable, please leave a review to help raise awareness for rare disease research. In this episode, I accidentally mispronounced Gaucher disease as Gaucher's a few times near the beginning. My apologies for the mistake—thank you for understanding!

    42 min
  5. Episode 9: A Boots on The Ground Approach

    09/12/2025

    Episode 9: A Boots on The Ground Approach

    Episode 9: Turning Hope into Action 🎙️ Hosts: Erin Hubbard and Laurel Gregier 🎤 Guest: Kristin Andrus 📅 Release Date: 9/12/2025 🔬 Topic: Philanthropy, Family Values, and Building Stronger Communities Episode Overview In this episode of These Kids Can’t Wait, we sit down with Kristin Andrus—founder of Gathering for Impact, Sister Goods, and head of the Andrus Family Foundation. A passionate advocate for families, women, and vulnerable communities across Utah, Kristin shares her journey from growing up in a service-oriented home to creating platforms that mobilize thousands toward meaningful action.With honesty and warmth, she reflects on lessons learned from refugee mentorship, raising six children in a culture of giving, and why real impact often starts at the local level. Together, we explore how philanthropy, social media, and grassroots service intersect to create lasting change. Key Takeaways ✔️ How family values and upbringing shape a life of service ✔️ The importance of “getting your hands dirty and your heart a little broken” ✔️ Building a culture of giving in your family and community ✔️ Practical advice for nonprofits with small but passionate bases of support ✔️ Why authentic connection matters more than numbers in fundraising and advocacy Resources & Links🌐 Learn more: thelostenzymeproject.org 📢 Follow us on social media:https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lost-enzyme-project https://www.instagram.com/thelostenzymeproject/ https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lost-Enzyme-Project/61551541563692/ Kristin's Website: https://kristinandrus.com/ Gathering for Impact: https://www.gatheringforimpact.org/ Giving personality test: https://byu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1NTleJAzYPR868K 📩 Contact us:Email us at admin@thelostenzymeproject.org Producer: alex@thelostenzymeproject.org Subscribe & Stay ConnectedStay informed by subscribing to These Kids Can’t Wait on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or Amazon music. If you find this episode valuable, please leave a review to help raise awareness for rare disease research.

    1h 11m
  6. Episode 8: Turning Hope into Action

    07/11/2025

    Episode 8: Turning Hope into Action

    🎙️ Hosts: Erin Hubbard, Laurel Gregier, and Lorena Lomelin 🎤 Guest: Mathias Schmidt 📅 Release Date: 7/11/2025 🔬 Topic: Breaking the Blood-Brain Barrier, Compassionate Use, and the Power of Patient-Centered Innovation Episode Overview In this episode of These Kids Can’t Wait, we’re joined by Mathias Schmidt, President and CEO of Armagen and Executive Fellow at JCR Pharmaceuticals. With over 20 years in rare disease research, Dr. Schmidt discusses how science and empathy intersect in the development of treatments for lysosomal storage diseases—particularly those affecting the brain. From pioneering enzyme therapies that cross the blood-brain barrier to founding The Lost Enzyme Project, Mathias offers a hopeful, grounded vision for what’s possible when patients are at the center of innovation. Key Takeaways ✔️ How JCR’s J-Brain Cargo technology delivers enzymes past the blood-brain barrier ✔️ Why focusing on quality of life—rather than a cure—is a powerful shift in mindset ✔️ Reflections on the emotional and ethical dimensions of working in rare disease Resources & Links 🌐 Learn more: thelostenzymeproject.org 📢 Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lost-enzyme-project https://www.instagram.com/thelostenzymeproject/ https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lost-Enzyme-Project/61551541563692/ 📩 Contact us: Email us at admin@thelostenzymeproject.org Producer: alex@thelostenzymeproject.org Subscribe & Stay Connected Stay informed by subscribing to These Kids Can’t Wait on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or Amazon music. If you find this episode valuable, please leave a review to help raise awareness for rare disease research.

    55 min
  7. Episode 7: Woman Made Well: Overcoming Challenges in Motherhood

    06/09/2025

    Episode 7: Woman Made Well: Overcoming Challenges in Motherhood

    🎙️ Hosts: Erin Hubbard 🎤 Guest: Dr. Candice Wood 📅 Release Date: 6/9/2025 🔬 Topic: Postpartum Mental Health, Holistic Women’s Care, Motherhood & Burnout, Supporting Rare Disease Families Episode Overview In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Candice Wood, OB-GYN and founder of Women Made Well, a practice dedicated to supporting women through both physical and emotional transitions. Dr. Wood shares how her experiences as a physician and a mother inspired her to redefine what true healing looks like—one that embraces emotional wellbeing as deeply interconnected with physical health. Key Takeaways ✔️How traditional OB-GYN care often falls short on mental health ✔️Why Dr. Wood founded Women Made Well ✔️The realities of postpartum anxiety and depression ✔️How social media exacerbates feelings of inadequacy in new mothers ✔️Practical strategies for navigating motherhood with a growth mindset ✔️The importance of community, even when living with rare diseases ✔️When and how medical intervention fits into emotional healing Resources & Links 🌐 Learn more: thelostenzymeproject.org Women Made Well Podcast: https://www.womanmadewell.com/woman-made-well-podcast 📢 Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lost-enzyme-project https://www.instagram.com/thelostenzymeproject/ https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lost-Enzyme-Project/61551541563692/ 📩 Contact us: Email us at admin@thelostenzymeproject.org Producer: alex@thelostenzymeproject.org 📖Books Mentioned in the Episode (ISBN): 147213995X 1401971369 1622039076 Subscribe & Stay Connected Stay informed by subscribing to These Kids Can’t Wait on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or Amazon music. If you find this episode valuable, please leave a review to help raise awareness for rare disease research.

    52 min
  8. Episode 6: Transplanting Hope

    05/12/2025

    Episode 6: Transplanting Hope

    🎙️ Hosts: Erin Hubbard and Laurel Gregier 🎤 Guest: Dr. Paul Orchard 📅 Release Date: 5/12/2025 🔬 Topic: Bone Marrow Transplants, Gene Therapy, and the Future of Rare Disease Treatment Episode Overview In this episode of These Kids Can’t Wait, we are joined by Dr. Paul Orchard, Medical Director of the Inherited Metabolic and Storage Disease Transplantation Program at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Orchard brings decades of experience treating ultra-rare lysosomal disorders through stem cell transplantation and emerging gene therapies. Together with hosts Erin and Laurel, he walks us through the science, challenges, and hope behind bone marrow transplants for rare diseases, sharing insights from his career, reflections on patient care, and the future of life-saving treatment. Key Takeaways ✔️ How bone marrow transplantation works for lysosomal storage disorders ✔️ The difference between cord blood and unrelated donor stem cells ✔️ The impact of early diagnosis and newborn screening ✔️ Limitations of enzyme replacement therapy and the promise of gene therapy ✔️ How families and advocates can help shape research and access to treatment ✔️ The emotional and medical realities of caring for ultra-rare patients Resources & Links 🌐 Learn more: thelostenzymeproject.org 📢 Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ https://www.instagram.com/thelostenzymeproject/ https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lost-Enzyme-Project/61551541563692/ 📩 Contact us: Email us at admin@thelostenzymeproject.org Producer: alex@thelostenzymeproject.org Subscribe & Stay Connected Stay informed by subscribing to These Kids Can’t Wait on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or Amazon music. If you find this episode valuable, please leave a review to help raise awareness for rare disease research.

    1h 12m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to These Kids Can't Wait. A podcast that brings you closer to researchers, doctors, and advocates working to drive progress and raise awareness for rare diseases.

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