Webinar Details
Title: Stronger Together: Mental Health, Grief, and Caregiving in Pompe DiseaseA rare genetic disease in which the body cannot properly break down glycogen, leading to buildup that damages muscles and can affect breathing and, in some cases, the heart.
Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
Time: 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET
Speaker:
Kendra J. Bjoraker, Ph.D., L.P.
Webinar Overview:
Pompe disease is a rare lysosomal storage disease, but living with it affects far more than the physical symptoms. It shapes emotions, relationships, and family life. In this webinar, neuropsychologist and licensed psychologist Dr. Kendra Bjoraker covers how anxiety and depression can develop with a chronic condition and how to spot the warning signs. She also talks about the grief that comes with ongoing loss or transitions, and the emotional weight caregivers experience. Attendees will leave with practical, non-medication tools for building coping skills, using social support, sharing the caregiving load, and protecting their own well-being.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to
- Recognize common signs of anxiety and depression when living with Pompe disease.
- Describe how ongoing losses or transitions can lead to grief, and name healthy ways to cope with it.
- Identify the warning signs of caregiver stress and how it affects health and relationships.
- Use practical, non-medication strategies to strengthen coping skills, social support, and well-being.
NOTE: This webinar is not being recorded and will not be posted to our website afterwards.
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Speaker Biography
Kendra J. Bjoraker
Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Bjoraker Neuropsychology Consultants, PLLC
Dr. Kendra J. Bjoraker is a pediatric neuropsychologist and licensed psychologist specializing in rare diseases such as inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) and lysosomal storage diseasesA group of diseases in which substances build up inside lysosomes because the body cannot break them down properly.. A former faculty member at the University of Minnesota and the University of Colorado-Denver/Children’s Hospital Colorado, she is a researcher, presenter, and published expert in rare disease and clinical trialA research study that tests new treatments or approaches in people. development. Through her Minneapolis-based practice, Bjoraker Neuropsychology Consultants, PLLC, she remains committed to raising awareness and improving health outcomes for patients and families living with chronic conditions.