A Genetic Counselor’s Journey into Patient Advocacy

Finding a diagnosis for a child with a rare condition can be challenging, even when his mother is a genetic counselor. Danielle Bonadies’ son Ethan was born with a brown birthmark known as a café au lait spot. But as the spots proliferated over the next few months, his pediatrician recognized it as a potential sign of a rare, genetic disorder. It wasn’t until Ethan was 2 that genetic testing led to a formal diagnosis of neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic condition that leads the development of tumors that can affect the brain, nerves, and spinal cord. We spoke to Bonadies about caring for a child with neurofibromatosis, how her professional and private lives have been thrust together because of her son’s diagnosis, and her evolution as a patient advocate.