Perks of Living With SMA

Some might think living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is all bad. That life is full of doom and gloom, but I am here to let you know it’s not all bad.

There are actually some really amazing and neat perks that come with living life in a wheelchair. You get to see the world from a different perspective than most, and you learn pretty early on what really matters most in life. Friends, family, furbabies, and good food are all things that fall in that column for me.

The first one in

One common perk is that a lot of the time when I’m waiting in long queue lines at concerts or other events, I get to cut the line and go in first because of ">my wheelchair. And the people with me get to cut the line, too. This is a common thing and is actually really nice. When I’m out and about, I’m already spending my energy just doing the bare minimum of sitting in my chair and waiting in long lines, which drains my physical battery quickly. Being allowed into events early saves my body from being too exhausted waiting in line.

">Wheelchair-accessible parking also falls into this category. I absolutely love being able to park at the front of stores, especially in the winter or when it rains. Having a space up front limits the time I’m either in the cold or in the rain and makes a huge difference in me being able to move the rest of the day or if I’m going to have to be curled in blankets for hours getting warm when I get home.

Wheelchair seating

Not all wheelchair< or ADA-compliant seating is great, but for the most part this seating always provides a great view to the stage or screen at different events. Being down low in my wheelchair means it’s awful for me to see over someone else so having  ADA seating is absolutely a must!

All kinds of kindness

More often than not when people see me out and about in my wheelchair I am met with kindness. Most people will go above and beyond to help me feel included and lend a hand if I need help in the grocery store reaching something on a shelf or even checking out.

Appreciating friendship and family bonds

Growing up with SMA definitely helped me realize that friendships are extremely important and something that should be valued and held sacred. I believe that I learned this a lot sooner than most kids my age and I find that to be a really valued perk to being disabled.

You learn really quickly who is going to be by your side at the end of the day when you’re enduring life with a disability. The connections I’ve made have often been more deeper and meaningful.

My family bonded closer as well. I often wonder if I hadn’t had SMA, would I be as close to my family as I am, or would I be a normal twenty-something without a care in the world. That perspective is invaluable.

Personal and emotional perks

I’ve definitely learned to be resourceful from a young age due to my SMA. I think we all have. That something that no one else can really understand.

When you have SMA you become stubborn and learn ways to prove to yourself you can do something. Like the time I took a fork and used it as leverage to open the top of a soda can. Or the time I filled a cup with water and poured the water from the cup into my dogs bowl because I couldn’t carry the dog bowl.

You can’t learn that kind of ingenuity anywhere else.

What kind of perks involving SMA and disability have shown up in your life?