Life, One Cup at a Time – a Column by Alyssa Silva

June 21, 2019June 19, 2019

Curiosity and Sweet Moments Build Special Bonds

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

As I was staring at a blank screen preparing to write this column, my little cousins Jackson and Mackenzie, who are 8 and 6 respectively, were playing with my ... Read more

June 14, 2019June 12, 2019

Driving to Faraway Coffee Shops While Learning to Honor My Good Days

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

Out of context, telling people that I willingly drive for an hour to get a good cup of coffee sounds pretty ridiculous. After all, think of the countless coffee ... Read more

June 7, 2019June 5, 2019

Small Spinraza Changes Yielded Big Results

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

I believe that the smallest changes can often yield the most impactful results. Someday when you reflect on your life’s culmination of little moments and modest actions, you will ... Read more

May 31, 2019June 21, 2019

Let’s Foster More Acceptance

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

Last summer, I wrote about how having SMA is apparently an open invitation for people to stare at me. It sounds crazy, right? It’s almost as though people in ... Read more

May 24, 2019May 22, 2019

‘It’s Go Time’: A Different Kind of Physical Therapy

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

Heavy goggles cling tightly to my eyes as I try to keep my balance on my mother’s lap. Even though she holds onto my waist, with the weight of ... Read more

May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Feeling Grateful in Unexpected Ways

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

Do you ever have moments when a wave of gratitude hits you in the last place you’d expect? They are the kind of moments that make you stop and ... Read more

May 3, 2019May 1, 2019

Celebrating Friendships and Beautiful Sunsets

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

Driving home from Boston one evening, I witnessed the sky paint a vibrant sunset as we cruised down the highway. Bright pinks and oranges swept across the view from ... Read more

April 26, 2019April 24, 2019

Reaching the End of My Spinraza Cycle

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

A good way for me to gauge whether or not I’m due for another Spinraza (nusinersen) treatment isn’t by looking at a calendar or counting back the number of ... Read more

April 12, 2019May 15, 2019

My Brother’s Earliest Memory of SMA Crushed Me

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

I recently asked my brother, Adam, what his earliest memories of SMA are. At the time of my diagnosis, he was only 2, but his sharp memory has served ... Read more

April 5, 2019April 3, 2019

Instagram Gem Redefines What Rest Means to Me

Columns, Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva

Do you ever hop on social media and come across a post you feel was written for you, and only you? I know social media sometimes gets a bad ... Read more