Kevin Schaefer,  —

Kevin Schaefer (he/him) is a writer, podcaster, and lover of all things pop culture. Diagnosed with SMA type 2 at the age of 18 months in 1995, he shares a vast array of hilarious and eye-opening stories from his life with a neuromuscular disability. He works as the associate director of community content for this site’s parent company, BioNews. He also hosts the SMA News Today Podcast. Kevin is a graduate of North Carolina State University and lives with his parents in Cary, NC. People regularly mistake him for Tony Stark, on account of his intellect and advanced technological equipment.

Articles by Kevin Schaefer

New Year, New Goals

For the longest time, I thought New Year’s resolutions were one of the corniest, hokiest, most pointless traditions in our culture. Every year, people set unrealistic goals that they never follow through with, which only leaves everyone feeling disappointed and apathetic by the time March or April rolls…

Adults With SMA: Hugo Trevino

Hugo Trevino is a prominent spokesperson within the SMA community, and currently works as a resource specialist for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois, he’s now pursuing a Master’s degree at Loyola University in Chicago. The following is an interview with Hugo,…

Nonprofit Strives to Empower People With Disabilities

The nonprofit organization Living Beyond Boundaries Inc. recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. Based in San Jose, California and founded by Greg Landers, this organization aims to provide things like life coaching and vocational training for people with disabilities all around the world. MORE: Online volunteering opportunities for SMA patients…

A Long Time Ago …

I was maybe 4 or 5 years old the first time I saw the original “Star Wars” trilogy. It was a VHS set, and I still remember the old-fashioned covers that featured characters like Yoda and Darth Vader. For those of you ultra-millennials out there, VHS tapes are…

Prepping for the Winter

As Christmas lurks around the corner and everyone is hustling and bustling for last-minute gift deals, I’m reminded that this time of year requires extra preparation for myself as well. The holidays are great, but it’s the weather that accompanies this season that I have to handle with…

3 Tips for SMA Patients to Manage Sleep Apnea

According to a 2016 study published by Sleep Medicine, about one in six young people with SMA types 2 and 3 exhibit some kind of sleep disorder. As the muscles deteriorate in SMA patients, breathing difficulties and trouble sleeping are common side effects. Nevertheless, there are ways to manage…

3 Tips for Building an SMA Community in Your Area

Having SMA comes with numerous challenges, but one of the best ways to make things more manageable is to engage with the SMA community. While things like the annual Cure SMA conference are great, it’s important to stay active in the community year-round. To help guide you, here are three…

One Day at a Time

At the time of this writing, I’m halfway through my Spinraza (nusinersen) loading doses. As I mentioned in a previous column, I’m receiving mine through the neck instead of doing the standard spinal tap injections. It’s certainly not for everyone, but it’s worked great for me.