If You Fall, I’m Going Down With You...My sweet child, she’s fearless. She’s put me at max speed. She’s "Daddy look at me!" She’s full of constant laughter and joy. She's trapped in a body that won't...reactions1comment
5 Tips for Dating with a Disability...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...reactions1comment
Son With SMA BICD2 Gene Mutation...My son was born with dislocated hips and deformed feet, its been a long road of appointments, tests etc. for diagnosis. This week, his diagnosis of a very rare form...reactions2comments
Empty Nest Again...As any typical parent will experience the day when your last child leaves the childhood home. At this point we are called “empty nesters”. This is met with different emotions. ...reactionscomments
Disability Costs Too Much...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...reactions1comment
Jessie's Bucket List - What is on Yours?...Everyone has a bucket list. A bucket list is something you want to do or experience before you die. In 1989, Jessie had a bucket list also. When she was...reactions1comment
FeaturedTreatment Journey Update...Where are you on your treatment journey? Have you begun treatment or are you weighing your options? Do you have experience switching or stopping treatment? If you stopped, why did...reactions7repliesTreatment
Letting Go of a PCA...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...reactions4comments
5 Disability Tips for Attending Large Venue Events...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...reactionscomments
Kellie Cusack...Kellie was previously a health leader on SpinalMuscularAtrophy.net. Kellie Cusack is a 23-year-old woman (pronouns: she/they) from New Jersey. She enjoys music, singing, escaping into fantasy worlds with books, and...
How Do You Handle Cold Weather?...We asked our Patient Leaders here at SpinalMuscularAtrophy.net, "How do you handle colder weather?" Does cold weather impact their SMA symptoms? Do they have go-to workarounds to avoid going out?...reactionscomments
Will you take our 2023 In America survey and help others understand the true impact of SMA?...To better understand the patient experience and realities of SMA, we are fielding our 2023 SMA In America survey. By taking this anonymous survey, you can help everyone better understand...reactionsrepliesAwareness
Hurt Back and Guilty Conscious...I’ve talked about the guilt I deal with in regards to the amount of work people need to exert in order to assist me throughout the day because of my...reactions1comment
Needing My Husband's Help in a Public Restroom...I can honestly say some of my funnier moments coping with spinal muscular atrophy have come from having to use public restrooms. However, it wasn’t until I got married that...reactions1comment
Making Sacrifices or Accommodating Each Other...Relationships are all about give and take. We wear so many different relationship hats in our life. Child and parent, sibling, friend, mate, and co-worker to name a few. When I...reactionscomments
Why am I Always the Party Pooper?...I have gastroparesis, along with spinal muscular atrophy. I was diagnosed with it last year after almost a lifetime of stomach and GI issues. With the diagnosis came orders of...reactionscomments
Celebrating the Holidays and Special Occasions...We asked our patient leaders about how they celebrate the holidays: Are there any special accommodations they and their family/friends have adopted to make special occasions easier? What is the...reactionscomments
Hope for the New Year...It’s 2023, a new year and new beginnings. We asked our patient leaders to tell us about their hope for the new year for themselves and others living with spinal...reactionscomments
A Question For The Community: Comfortable Bed Cushions ..."My wife has SMA and we are spending a fortune trying to find the right cushion for her to be able to sit. She started getting bedsores about a year...reactions3repliesAssistive EquipmentTips & Advice
A Challenge I've Recently Overcome Is ______________...Fill in the blank. What is a challenge you've recently overcome while living with SMA? How would you encourage others who are currently facing challenges?...reactionsrepliesTips & Advice