My name is Leanna Mullen. I am a TV Station Manager at EHT-TV in Egg Harbor, New Jersey. I am 27 years old and currently studying for a Master’s in Instructional Technology at Stockton University. In the little free time I have working full time and attending graduate school with a full courseload, I own a video production company called “Film Reel Productions.” I’ve been awarded several opportunities which has lead me to where I am today and I am very grateful for the path I am on.
Oh yeah, and I have Type 1 Gaucher Disease.
I feel obligated to remind others how much I have going on in my life and what I have accomplished because Gaucher’s is not WHO I am… it’s just another facet of me.
I was diagnosed when I was 15 years old. Leading up to that time I had a lot of medical issues… probably far too many to list in a simple blog post. The worst of it was ruling out Leukemia. Also, once they knew it was Gaucher Disease, deciding if it was Type I or III.
My family is of Italian descent on both sides. To our knowledge there is no common Jewish background between my parent’s lineage, but as I’ve learned that doesn’t stop me from hitting the genetic lottery!
While I’ve certainly have had several ups and some devastating lows in my health profile, I am proud to say with my Cerezyme treatment every two weeks I am incredibly stable now. I receive a home infusion which helps keep my “inconvenience” to a minimum.
Whenever possible, I like to share Gaucher Disease with the community at large. Like the majority of those diagnosed, I rarely run into anyone who has ever heard of Gaucher, let alone what it means for a patient. I’ve had the privilege of speaking at several events to educate the public about Gaucher and the benefits of the treatments available. I know I would not be here today writing this blogpost if it wasn’t for the wonderful people at Genzyme.
If anyone would like to see the message I created for the National Gaucher Foundation, please visit this link. In addition, I am always open to questions and connections with other Gaucher fighters, so feel free to find me on Twitter (@filmreelpro) and shoot me a message.
Kudos to you for visiting and sharing your stories on here. I think it’s wonderful for us to have a place to read other experiences and feel a connection to someone who has gone through (and overcome) several of the same obstacles!
-Leanna Mullen