Wendy Henderson,  —

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic disorder that affects around one in 10,000 babies. The severity of the disease varies, but children with SMA are usually unable to walk and after time, muscle degeneration can affect their ability to sit, swallow and breathe without assistance. Diagnosis of the…

In this MDA video meet Joe Akmakjian, a 24-year-old with SMA who lives his life to the fullest and is about to embark on his biggest test of independence yet. (Hint to his family: He’s moving out.) Read more about issues that young adults with SMA face.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a life-threatening genetic disease that affects approximately 1 in 10,000 babies. The progressive muscle-wasting condition, depending on severity, can leave children unable to walk, sit unaided, swallow, and in very severe cases even breathe. Read about five experimental SMA therapies you might find interesting.

In this heartwarming The Gamers’ Charity video shared in July 2014, we meet Ben. The 13-year-old boy had always envied his friends’ ability to play video games. Because of spinal muscular atrophy, Ben was unable to use regular controllers  — until he found a charity that helped him join the fun.

In this WXYZ-TV Detroit video shared in May 2015, we catch up with Stephen Clark and his adorable granddaughter Scarlet who was diagnosed with type 2 spinal muscular atrophy when she was 10 months old. Meet the Kingsley family and 6-year-old Brett who was diagnosed with spinal muscular…

Sometimes people who don’t know better have notions that disability and sex do not go together. Don’t tell Danielle Sheypuck that. “I’m ‘Ms. Wheelchair New York’ by night,” says the blond beauty pageant competitor. Read how Eric lives an “amazing life” despite his spinal muscular atrophy. In this PBS…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_ImRHlv4rs This Spinal Muscular Atrophy Support UK video shared in September 2015, shows many beautiful faces of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) while explaining the life-threatening condition. Find out more about Eric and his ‘amazing’ life with SMA here. The describes the four different types of SMA, as well the cause of the disease.

In this WXYZ-TV Detroit video shared in March 2015, meet Scarlet and her loving family. Scarlet is a typical 2 1/2-year-old girl in many ways —  bright, funny, and very talkative — but she has spinal muscular atrophy. Meet the Kingsley family and 6-year-old Brett who was diagnosed with…

Spinal muscular atrophy affects around 1 in 10,000 newborns. Here are five frequently asked questions about the condition according to Cure SMA: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease that affects mostly children but comes in different forms. The severe neuromuscular disease affects a person’s ability to…

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease that affects an estimated one in 10,000 children. The severe muscle wasting disease affects the child’s mobility. As SMA progresses, and depending on the type category, the child’s muscle loss leads to inability to walk, sit unaided, swallow, and in very severe…