Columns

Social Media Is a Double-edged Sword

The internet is a valuable tool for someone like me, especially for the purpose of social platforming. I can’t do much socializing in real life. Whether the environment is too loud for me to be heard, the venue is inaccessible, or the activity is something that I physically can’t…

Wheels for Ella

Summer is here and in full force. Ice cream trucks, sprinklers, and lazy days abound. Bike riding also tops off the season. Ella can now join in a way that she couldn’t do before! Through the generosity of the Jonathan Goers Bike Club and the coordination of…

People with Disabilities Want to Work

App.com recently ran a story about a college student with SMA at Georgetown University. Anna Landre graduated from Freehold Township High School, in New Jersey, as valedictorian in 2017. She is currently thriving as a college undergraduate and was recently offered a summer internship.

Patiently Waiting for an Itch to Be Scratched

I’m going to state the obvious: The list of things this disease prevents me from doing is a long one. So, when I have to rely on others, patience has become an imperative virtue. If I need an itch scratched, I wait for someone to drop what they’re…

Looking Back and Looking Forward

This week, my Facebook news feed was filled with graduation pics, friends posting sentimental messages about the times they had in college, and of course, even sappier posts from their parents. Then, if friends aren’t graduating, they’re getting married, starting new jobs, or moving away from…

When the Impossible Becomes Possible

I’m writing this the night before my best friend’s plane lands in the U.S. I’ve been working nonstop the past three weeks to make sure everything is ready for her arrival, so this installment of my column probably won’t sound as nice or be…

My First Spinraza Maintenance Dose

After my first injection of Spinraza (nusinersen) last November, I posted on Facebook to tell all of my friends and family how it went. Amid the “Glad it went well!” and “Praying for you” comments, my former youth pastor said that he couldn’t help but think…

Humor Gets Me Through the Bad SMA Days

My parents and I have been traveling to Iowa every weekend for the past few months. We recently bought a vacation home in Wisconsin, and we’ve been getting the farm that my mom inherited ready to sell. Other than painfully slow Wi-Fi and a less-than-comfortable bed…