My pitch for incorporating SMA into ‘The Pitt’
How the series might represent an all-too-common scenario for SMA patients
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Like many pop culture enthusiasts, I currently devote my Thursday nights to the HBO Max series “The Pitt.” Hailed as the most realistic medical drama on TV, the show follows an emergency department crew in a Pittsburgh hospital, led by veteran physician Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (played by Noah Wyle). With each season set during a single shift at the ER, viewers get an inside look at the staff’s daily challenges and the numerous patients and crises they encounter.
A staple of the show is that Dr. Robby and his colleagues are highly empathetic and skilled. Not only do they employ their expertise to address complicated medical scenarios, but they also treat each patient with dignity and respect.
My colleague Sherry Toh wrote about the humanization of patients on the show, particularly those with rare diseases. The first two seasons have featured characters with sickle cell disease, immune thrombocytopenia, schizophrenia, and more conditions that are otherwise underrepresented in mainstream media. While the doctors aren’t perfect, they inspire confidence and sincerity.
However, season two features a less-than-ideal medical student named James Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson), a character who desperately needs a dose of Dr. Robby’s empathy. A recent episode features a storyline with an obese patient. Due to his weight, he’s unable to lie flat on a table or fit into the CT scan machine. Rather than providing support, Ogilvie spews blunt, insensitive comments, making the patient feel ashamed and the other doctors embarrassed. Another veteran doctor, Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif), later confronts Ogilvie about his behavior.
An SMA storyline
This incident gave me an idea for incorporating an SMA patient storyline into “The Pitt.” As an adult living with SMA, I’ve had experiences with great doctors, bad ones, and others who mean well but inadvertently do or say the wrong things. The doctors in the latter category aren’t mean-spirited and unprofessional like Ogilvie. Yet they tend to talk down to patients in a different way. It’s this kind of ignorance that I would love to see portrayed on the show.
Here’s my pitch.
An adult SMA patient, let’s call him Steve, enters the ER with his caregiver, Kate. He’s there because he has a kidney stone and is in agonizing pain. Still, this isn’t his first rodeo, and he knows the routine.
Once he’s in a room, Steve meets Dr. Robby and other members of the team, including a new student doctor named Tom. Steve describes his situation and pain levels, and the doctors agree to get him painkillers and order a CT scan. Dr. Robby orders a Hoyer lift to Steve’s room to transfer him to the bed. Tom assists Kate with the transfer, and the exchange plays out like this:
Tom: “All right, buddy, can I lift your legs?”
Kate: “Wrong choice of words.”
Tom: “Sorry?”
Steve: “Doc, I call my 5-year-old nephew ‘buddy.’ I’m 34, and I’ve been out of school since before you had your driver’s license.”
Tom: “Oh … right.”
Robby smirks.
A scene like this would perfectly encapsulate how SMA patients are often infantilized in medical scenarios. It could also feature Tom talking to Kate instead of addressing Steve directly. No matter the age of a person in a wheelchair, too many people are unable to fathom us as adults who can speak up for ourselves. In my experience, wit and sarcasm can be powerful tools for counteracting ableism.
“The Pitt” has already demonstrated a commitment to authentically representing disabled and other marginalized communities. Throw in a kidney stone, a naive student doctor, and a smart and sarcastic wheelchair user, and the writers have all the ingredients for an SMA storyline.
Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.
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