My Good Days: A Resource for Financial Help...I’ve talked about the “disability tax” in previous articles. You’ll hear people who have a physical disability use this term. It basically refers to the extra expenses that are incurred...reactions1comment
Resources for Assistance...What non-profit organizations have you found helpful? What services do they provide (financial, caregiving, other supportive services)?...reactionsrepliesCost
Navigating School Accommodations for Children With SMA...The United States government has many laws that protect rights to education for children with disabilities. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is considered an orthopedic impairment under these laws. This means...reactions1comment
That Hospital Stay and One Nurse in the ICU...In 1974, my wife and myself were frightened when the Pediatric Neurologist diagnosed my daughter, Jessie, with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) when she was less than a year old. During...reactions3comments
FeaturedThank A Healthcare Professional Discussion Board...Do you have a favorite doctors/specialist? Maybe someone who went above and beyond for you during a hospital stay? Give them a shout out and tell us their story....reactions2repliesHealthcare Team
Finding Halloween...The festive side of the year is around the corner, and that always gets me excited! A key part of living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) for me has always...reactions2comments
SMA In America: Results from Our 2022 Survey...In our first ever Spinal Muscular Atrophy In America Survey, we collected information from 54 adults living with SMA and 8 caregivers about their experiences of living with this rare...reactionscomments
Cooking Without Hands...Have you ever had a desire to cook an amazing meal for someone but had a thought, “how would I do that? With my spinal muscular atrophy, I can’t lift...reactions2comments
Is this SMA?...Besides having severe multilevel spinal stenosis, my MRI says There is a left paraspinal muscular atrophy. Multilevel degenerative changes with multilevel disc desiccation is seen. Is this SMA? Thanks! Alan...reactions3repliesAwareness
Breaking the SMA Barriers...Everyone has to deal with barriers. When we think of spinal muscular atrophy we probably assume these barriers are physical. I want to talk about the barriers we put on...reactions1comment
Barriers with SMA...What do you feel are your greatest barriers living with SMA? How do you navigate these barriers? Start the conversation and let our community member join in....reactionsrepliesMental Health
Helping My Daughter Make Choices and Experience Life...I realized that we, as parents of a child with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), were trying to do everything possible to meet her needs. There were many choices in life...reactionscomments
Voting With a Disability: What to Know...Voting is a fundamental American right, but it has special meaning for people with disabilities, like spinal muscular atrophy, or health conditions. Until federal laws like the Americans with Disabilities...reactions1comment
Medical Review Board...The Health Union Medical Review Board is made up of board-certified healthcare professionals with extensive experience in their respective fields. They review and ensure that our content is accurate and...
Making the Best of It...I recently watched a new movie based on a true story about a young man who unexpectedly became a quadriplegic due to an accident. Even though I have spinal muscular...reactions1comment
FeaturedStaying Positive with SMA ...Do you have a special way to keep positive despite the challenges of SMA? What works for you? Join the conversation below....reactions6repliesCopingMental Health
Editorial Team...The Editorial Team works with its Medical Review Board and experienced medical writers to provide Health Union's Community Team with reliable, easy-to-understand information about a host of chronic health conditions...
Community Team...Welcome to Health Union's Community Team. Our Community Team is made up of a diverse group of employees of Health Union who bring you engaging, accurate information about living with...
My Reactions To Finding Out That My Daughter Had Spinal Muscular Atrophy...My experience with anticipatory grief (AG) began when Jessie was about 3 months old. She was not meeting her developmental goals compared to her twin brother. Our pediatrician advised us...reactionscomments
Computer Assistive Technology...Symptoms of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) can make it hard to use technology. Computer assistive devices and strategies can improve access. They can help people with SMA communicate, maintain independence...reactionscomments
