This month on Metabolically Speaking, we’re joined by Brittany Murray, a doctoral graduate, public speaker, and nurse practitioner at one of the world’s leading pediatric institutions. She’s also living with PKU.

In this inspiring episode, Brittany shares how she’s come to see her condition not as a limitation, but a gift. From her early involvement in the PKU community to building a career in healthcare, Brittany uses her experience to empower others living with rare metabolic conditions. Her journey is one of purpose, passion, and advocacy.

Together with host Maridith Baker, Brittany explores the power of community, including friendships, shared experiences, and support systems that remind us that we’re never alone. We take a deep dive into the everyday realities of living with PKU: balancing protein levels, managing hunger, and finding satisfaction in familiar staples such as french fries. Brittany’s practical insights and lived experience shed light on what it truly means to live fully and freely with PKU.

At the heart of this episode is empowerment. Brittany’s approach to healthcare is rooted in empathy and education and her philosophy of “blame the disease, not the patient” reminds us of the transformative impact of understanding and support.

As Brittany beautifully puts it, “Your rare condition is your superpower.”

Whether you’re living with PKU, supporting someone who is, or simply seeking knowledge and inspiration, this episode will leave you feeling uplifted and encouraged.

If you’d like to know more after listening, you’ll find resources and links in the show notes below. Thank you for joining us!

Find out more about Cambrooke:

• www.cambrooke.com/about
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Get in touch with us: MetabolicallySpeaking@cambrooke.com

Maridith Baker:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Resources from Brittany:

• NECPAD
• FLOK
• NPKUA
• Perspectives and Insights Into Phenylketonuria: Patient Narratives About the Early Years Following Newborn Screening - click here
• New England Consortium (Transition to Adulthood toolkit resources):

Transition Toolkit — New England Consortium of Metabolic Programs

PKU and Exercise:

• The exercising patient with phenylketonuria: Considerations and research recommendations - ScienceDirect
• PKU-Sports-Nutrition-April-2018.pdf
• PKU dietary handbook to accompany PKU guidelines | Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases | Full Text

This month on Metabolically Speaking, we’re joined by pediatric neuropsychologist Dr. Kendra Bjoraker. With specialized expertise in rare genetic and metabolic conditions, Kendra has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and families as they navigate challenges, celebrate strengths, and hold onto hope.

Kendra, and host Maridith Baker, dive into the realities of living with both a mental health condition and a metabolic condition, and how persistence, adaptation, and cognitive flexibility are essential parts of the journey. From formal definitions of depression and anxiety to stark statistics and practical coping strategies, Kendra sheds light on what it means to care for our mental health, just as we do our physical health, and how this can look different at every stage of life. She talks about the emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual processes involved following lifelong and life changing diagnoses.

At the heart of this conversation is connection and hope. Kendra leads us through her simple 5-4-3-2-1 activity to reset and recenter and shares with us her own quote on hope and the powerful story behind it; “When all you need is a drop of hope; and many times, a drop is all you have... For without hope there is nothing.”

Whether you are living with a lifelong condition or supporting a loved one, this episode offers validation, encouragement, and tools you can carry with you forever.

If you'd like to know more after listening to this episode, you'll find resources and links in the show notes below. Thank you for joining our conversation.

Show Notes

• Find out more about Cambrooke:

o Cambrooke About Page

o Cambrooke LinkedIn

o Cambrooke Instagram

o Cambrooke Facebook

• Get in touch with Cambrooke:

o metabolicallyspeaking@cambrooke.com

• Dr. Kendra Bjoraker:

o Bjoraker Neuropsychology Consultants, PLLC | neurological care

• Maridith Baker:

o www.instagram.com/phenylketonuriaandme

o www.linkedin.com/in/maridithbaker

o www.facebook.com/maridith.baker

Organizations that Educate and Offer Help

• National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-NAMI (1-800-950-6264)
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
• National Institute of Mental Health 1-866-615-6464
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Mental Health 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
• American Psychological Association 1-800-374-2721
• American Psychiatric Association 1-703-907-7300
• https://www.anxiety.org
• http://www.childanxiety.net
• https://locator.apa.org
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

Welcome to the very first episode of Metabolically Speaking!

We’re kicking things off with an inspiring conversation you won’t forget. Our first guest is a community advocate, leader, and founder of Cambrooke; Lynn Paolella.

In this episode, Lynn shares her experience on receiving not one, but two PKU diagnoses in her family and how those life-changing moments ignited the creation of Cambrooke, a global innovator in the field of advanced medical nutrition. She shares the highs, the lows, and all of the moments in between.

Joined by host Maridith Baker, we explore the defining moment that shaped Lynn’s journey into creating low-protein foods and formulas. From classroom anecdotes to huge milestones, Lynn shares her why. She delves into her desire to provide better, palatable nutrition options for her children and families living with inherited metabolic disorders, and how her and her husband’s mission was driven by love and determination.

At the heart of this episode is a powerful theme; community. Through cooking meet ups with other PKU Mom’s to working alongside healthcare professionals to develop good-tasting, low protein options, Lynn shares how building a community has been the secret ingredient in her story.

Lynn’s unwavering commitment to supporting families navigating life with rare metabolic disorders is nothing short of extraordinary. Whether you’re a parent, a patient, or just curious to know more, this episode is here to educate, inspire, and uplift.

If you'd like to know more about Lynn and Cambrooke after listening to this episode, you'll find resources and links in the show notes below. Thank you for being here with us from the very beginning.

Show Notes

Find out more about Cambrooke:

• www.cambrooke.com/about

o www.linkedin.com/company/cambrooke-therapeutics

o www.instagram.com/ajinomoto_cambrooke

o www.facebook.com/AjinomotoCambrooke

• Get in touch with Cambrooke:

o metabolicallyspeaking@cambrooke.com

• Lynn Paolella:

o www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-paolella-a827b510

• Maridith Baker:

o www.instagram.com/phenylketonuriaandme

o www.linkedin.com/in/maridithbaker

o www.facebook.com/maridith.baker

• New England Connection for PKU and Allied Disorders (NECPAD):

o https://www.necpad.org/

• National PKU Alliance (NPKUA)

o https://www.npkua.org/

• Flok

o https://flok.org/

• Patients and Providers for Medical Nutrition Equity

o https://nutritionequity.org/

• California Coalition for PKU and Allied Disorders

o https://www.ccpkuad.org/

• E.S.PKU

o https://www.espku.org