Diagnosed at 5 months of age, Alyssa has set out to raise awareness about life with SMA Type I through writing. By getting personal and being open about her trials and triumphs, she wants the world to know that SMA can put up a good fight, but we can always fight back exceedingly harder. Aside from writing, Alyssa is the community director for an adaptive fashion brand and has founded her own nonprofit called Working On Walking. In her free time, she enjoys discovering new coffee shops within a 50-mile radius of her hometown in Rhode Island.All my life I’ve been freakishly in tune with my body. It sounds like a great quality to have, right? I’ve always been hyperaware of my symptoms and can spot when something in my body feels off. This bodes well when it comes to viruses and other types of illnesses…
As I write this, I’ve been home for 11 days. Actually, let me rephrase that. I haven’t left this house so much as to go outside to get some fresh air, feel the sunlight gently grace my skin, or see what the outside world has been up to for the…
For the past few weeks, social media feeds have been inundated with posts about the #10yearchallenge. It’s a way for people to showcase transformative photos of themselves. Some are from 2009 and others were taken this year. I decided to hop on the bandwagon and shuffled through old Facebook…
This time of year is my family’s time to shine — literally. Our house sits on a hill on a narrow street that runs parallel to the main road. Separating these two roads is a small patch of woods, leaving little to no privacy for our cozy abode when the…
I was recently strolling through the best-sellers section of a bookstore and couldn’t remember the last time I had set foot in one. I had just stopped in for the Starbucks coffee. However, while my personal care assistant ran to the bathroom, I decided to peruse the book display near…
In this season of giving thanks, I keep reflecting on the importance of gratitude. Gratitude greatly impacts our lives, but as someone with SMA, I’ve found the concept easier said than done. At the risk of sounding harsh, on some days I feel as though there is absolutely nothing in…
It is truly the most wonderful time of the year. As you read these words, I hope that you are envisioning me spinning in my wheelchair, wearing an oversized cardigan with leaves falling all around me, and resting a pumpkin spice latte on my footplate. When it comes to autumn,…
Last weekend, my friends and I celebrated my 29th birthday with a brunch that was arguably too classy for us kids. The Champagne endlessly poured, the laughter continuously ensued, and my heart overflowed with feelings of togetherness and gratitude. To complete the first-time experience at this rooftop restaurant, our table…
It has been a bizarre week in the Silva household. Come to think of it, “stressful” may be a better adjective to describe the energy inside our four walls. However, for the sake of accurately portraying the out-of-the-ordinary vibe that’s been circulating among my family members, let’s go with “bizarrely…
“Houston, we’re not in kindergarten anymore,” I said as we looked at our reflections in the mirror. My hair was carefully pinned back just right. My makeup was meticulously applied, and a Burgundy gown gently draped over the footplates of my wheelchair. To my right was my best friend, Amanda,…
