Five Servings of Strength- a column by Michael Casten

conferences, musical talents, dogs

Michael is married and a father of three, one being a child with SMA Type II (born in June, 2011). He is an educator who has worked directly with children and their families since 1994. He loves his family, writing, working with his hands, and taking road trips. Michael holds a bachelor’s in psychology (1994) and a master’s in education (2001).

Two New Sets of Wheels for Ella

Kids grow … and Ella’s right there along with them. Since her spine surgery, Ella has gained a bit more than 5 inches in her height. And every three months, she gets her spine rods lengthened. She sits tall and straight in her wheelchair, and…

Ella Makes a New Friend

It’s been a long summer. The kids have found things to keep them busy, but playdates for Ella have been few and far between. That is, until new neighbors moved in just down the block. Our new neighbors are from New York,…

Take Your Time in All Things

I stood in Home Depot watching an employee cut pieces of wood for me so I could build a foundation for the two sheds I’d just bought. He measured and cut, measured and cut. Once finished, he helped me pick out the right screws to use…

Ella Had a Lovely Time at MDA Camp

Ella and I sat at Dunkin’ Donuts, conversing about MDA Camp. (MDA is the Muscular Dystrophy Association.) She thoroughly enjoyed camp for all the wonderful activities she did, and especially for the people she became friends with. The camp wasn’t all peaches and…

Always Have a Backup

Always have a backup. For the first time in her life, Ella is attending Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Summer Camp. We had prepared for this adventure for weeks, reassuring her that she’ll be all right without her parents (for the first time in…

Best Friends Forever

Ella loves her friends. She loves going to school each day just to see them. She raves on and on about how helpful they are and how funny they are. She’s a very social person. Just recently, we received an invitation to…

Bonding with Bunny

Dogs are great. We have two of them. Potter and Ginny are Hungarian hunting dogs; the breed is known as Vizsla (vee-z-shla). Vizslas are extremely family-friendly. They are known as “Velcro Vizslas” because they stick so close to their owners. Ella and…

Happy 8th Birthday, Ella

Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake. A Cabbage Patch doll. Brush-tipped markers and a slime kit. A diary and a special drinking glass (filled with Hershey’s Kisses). All the goodies Ella received on her 8th birthday. It’s hard to believe Ella is 8 years old…