Columns

August 21, 2019August 19, 2019

Ella’s First Day of School Ends with a Broken Foot

Columns, Five Servings of Strength- a column by Michael Casten

The first day of fourth grade was wonderful for Ella. She woke up early and I got her dressed and ready to go. Along with her brother and sister, ... Read more

August 20, 2019August 15, 2019

A New Chapter: My First Book Signing as a Published Author

Columns, The Mermaid Chronic(les) - a Column by Kala Godin

Three days from now, on Aug. 23, I will be doing my first book signing. As I previously have mentioned, my first book, “Witchcraft and Monsters,” was published in ... Read more

August 20, 2019August 15, 2019

The Beauty of Personal Storytelling

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

It was my last semester of college, and I had room for one more writing class in my schedule. I already had two film courses, a literature survey, a ... Read more

August 19, 2019August 15, 2019

Advocating for Myself on My Accutane Journey

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

In case you’re wondering, the miraculous acne medication, Accutane (isotretinoin), is as fun as it sounds. Accutane is a six-month program, which means I have three months left. The ... Read more

August 16, 2019August 14, 2019

Sidelined: Being Sick When You Have SMA

Columns, From Where I Sit - a Column by Halsey Blocher

Being sick tends to take a lot out of people with SMA, and the healing process is often slow. A few days after returning from a family vacation this ... Read more

August 16, 2019August 14, 2019

A Weekend Getaway Requires Meticulous Planning

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

“Raise your hand if your return to reality has been a struggle.” That was the text I received moments after being set up on my phone to write this ... Read more

August 14, 2019August 14, 2019

SMA and the Big Sister

Columns, We're Not in Kansas Anymore - a Column by Helen Baldwin

If our daughter, Katie, had arrived on her due date, I’d be writing about her birthday instead of her decision to hold off a few days — eight, to ... Read more

August 14, 2019August 9, 2019

Ella and the Family Enjoy a Vacation to Tennessee

Columns, Five Servings of Strength- a column by Michael Casten

The back of our accessible van was loaded with luggage. We set the trip odometer to zero and zoomed off to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was a nine-hour drive and ... Read more

August 13, 2019August 9, 2019

Our Pets Are Truly Part of the Family

Columns, The Mermaid Chronic(les) - a Column by Kala Godin

We have a number of pets, including a small, aging Chihuahua and a few cats. They’re adorable and we love them a lot. The cats follow my younger sister ... Read more

August 13, 2019August 8, 2019

The SMA Community Is United in Diversity

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

I’ve been an active member of the SMA community for years, but one of my fondest memories from any SMA conference took place last year in Dallas, Texas. As ... Read more