Living

May was designated National Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949 by the United States Congress due to the increased number of veterans suffering from mental illnesses after returning from World...

Our family journey began when Mike was five years old. After a barrage of testing and doctor appointments, we were given the diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy. The name of just...

I went to the Cure SMA Conference for the first time when I was 10 with my mom, dad, and grandparents (my mom's parents). To be honest, I was in...

Recently, I had an experience I didn’t know I desperately needed. I went to volunteer in my daughter’s kindergarten classroom. I was nervous because I did not want my wheelchair...

I have been writing about my spinal muscular atrophy journey for a few years now. I often wonder who out there is reading these articles. Obviously it can be intimidating...

Recently, I have had a huge life transition and not a positive one. I feel society often thinks that disabled individuals do not go through hardship. That we don’t have...

Being paid to take care of someone is a thought that never crossed my mind. Growing up in a large family and being the oldest of 5 kind of made...

I can't tell you how many times I've Googled "Things to do in the winter when bored," or "Boredom busters" just to be met with able-bodied people telling me to...

Any sports fan in the Philadelphia area will understand the phrase Red October. For those of you who are not lucky enough to live here and understand the phrase let...

Being a mother is an adventure in itself, but when you add two young children and a wheelchair to the mix, things get even more interesting! As a mother, with...

The emotions that each parent truly lives with from that first day our child is given a diagnosis of a neuromuscular disease. In reality, each parent feels that same initial...

Taking care of someone can be hard and trying. Especially when it is a 24/7 gig. There are days I wish I could get a break. As of right now...

In previous articles, I’ve written about perception. How we are perceived is a big part of ourselves. When I went off to college, I knew that I wouldn’t be able...

The other day, I visited the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) office. I had to visit because I now have my first job. I wanted to make sure that I would...

As someone with spinal muscular atrophy, I understand the importance of selecting the correct wheelchair. Not only is it a huge financial commitment but is a piece of our body...

One of my missions is giving teenagers the confidence that life isn’t all doom and gloom when dealing with a disability. Back in 2017 I was lucky to be invited...

The dating landscape with social media and dating apps is not always an ideal way to meet others when you have a disability like spinal muscular atrophy. These dating apps...

I often get told how I should be grateful because the government pays for my spinal muscular atrophy treatments, or my durable medical equipment and I shouldn’t want for more...

Like any other job in this world, being someone’s personal care assistant just isn’t for everyone. But unlike every other job, this position is very close to home. Both literally...

Who doesn't like going to a concert, performance, or sporting event? The problem is, it's not always easy to attend events at large events while living with a disability, such...