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    • Embracing My Inner Alien — Kevin Schaefer
    • Being Resilient — Jasmine Ramos
    • Soaring With Hope — Ari Anderson
    • Life, One Cup at a Time — Alyssa Silva
    • Wandering The Lines — Sherry Toh
    • The Wolf Finally Frees Itself — Brianna Albers
    • Caring Together — Connie Chandler
    • We’re Not in Kansas Anymore — Helen Baldwin
    • From Where I Sit — Halsey Blocher
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Featured Articles
Columns

A summer spent identifying my unpronounceable skin conditions

It started with what I had assumed was an ordinary breakout. I’d been stressed from moving for the first time in my life, and had punted on my typically zealous hygiene because, well, moving. You can’t really blame your skin for getting bad when you stop doing the things that make it good. Breakouts are already stressful enough, but this…

An illustration shows a woman sitting on an exam table taking a pill handed to her by a physician. Discussion
News

SMA treatment linked to improved upper limb function in new study

Treatment with Evrysdi (risdiplam) was associated with stable overall motor function and improved upper limb function in a small Chinese study of 15 people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Upper limb function scores increased in the type 2 group and the combined types 3–4 group, although neither change…

A group is gathered around a boy in a Star Wars-inspired custom wheelchair costume. Discussion
News

The force is strong with boy’s wheelchair Halloween costume

This Halloween, an 11-year-old living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) named Dash will be trick-or-treating in a costume fit for a galaxy far, far away. Last year, Dash Stanton was selected as the winner of a Halloween sweepstakes on Instagram that was run by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)…

Discussion
News

MDA Engage: National ambassador brings message of belonging, resilience

Lily Sander will never forget what it was like to meet other people with neuromuscular diseases the first time she attended Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Summer Camp. Living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Sander had met only one or two other people with neuromuscular diseases in her city. She was…

main graphic for column titled Discussion
Columns

Our SMA assignment was brief, but I’m encouraged to keep writing about it

Baby Jeffrey joined our family in mid-May 1997. Besides his abdominal breathing, alarming only my husband, Randy, he was perfect. Eight weeks later, my physician brother examined Jeffrey. Paul’s typically calming demeanor turned eerily somber after he found a dull-sounding lung and no reflexes. He felt confident our pediatrician would…

Two people are shown from behind with their arms around each other. Discussion
News

SMA patient, caregiver well-being closely linked, study finds

Health-related quality of life for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients treated with Spinraza (nusinersen) is closely linked to the well-being of their caregivers, particularly among patients who are able to sit, a South Korean study found. Participants with SMA who had poorer motor function generally reported lower quality…

A banner for Alyssa Silva's column

Featured ColumnMy medical devices aren’t an invitation for people to stare at me

It’s uncomfortable when people stare at her medical equipment, but columnist Alyssa Silva has learned to flip the script.

Read the column

Vlogs

Watch the latest videos where patients with SMA share their personal stories and perspectives with the SMA community.

Watch on YouTube

The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Podcast

Listen to the latest episode of The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Podcast, hosted by forums director Kevin Schaefer.

Listen to more

Your SMA Community

Visit the SMA News Today forums to connect with others in the SMA community.

View Forums

Perspectives

  1. The banner for Brianna Albers' column depicts a wolf howling against a background of mountains and trees, with the words Discussion
    Columns

    A summer spent identifying my unpronounceable skin conditions

  2. main graphic for column titled Discussion
    Columns

    Our SMA assignment was brief, but I’m encouraged to keep writing about it

  3. Banner for Connie Chandler's column Discussion
    Columns

    With SMA, getting ready for the day involves more than just physical tasks

  4. Main graphic for Discussion
    Columns

    New night nurse has done wonders to aid my health and relieve stress

  5. Main graphic for column titled Discussion
    Columns

    SMA treatment access remains urgent, even if some patients choose to wait

  6. Banner for Connie Chandler's column Discussion
    Columns

    ‘Further up’ and ‘further in’ I will go to explore the boundaries of accessibility

View All Columns

Special Collections

A close-up view of a strand of DNA highlights its double-helix structure.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Genetics

Wheelchair illustration

Specialized Equipment for SMA Patients

A child in a wheelchair raises his arms above his head.

Living Well With SMA

  1. A close-up view of a strand of DNA highlights its double-helix structure.

    Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Genetics

  2. Wheelchair illustration

    Specialized Equipment for SMA Patients

  3. A child in a wheelchair raises his arms above his head.

    Living Well With SMA

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