Spoiler alert: This column discusses the plot of the 2024 film “The Substance.” Hollywood was abuzz about Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 film “The Substance” when it arrived on the scene. It was a controversial contender for attention and awards. People seemed to either love it or hate it; audience…
Columns
In May 1997, my husband, Randy, and I awaited the arrival of our third baby. The ultrasound indicated we were having a boy. We named him Jeffrey. Years before, I’d taught at Brockman School, a self-contained setting for students with orthopedic and myriad other conditions considered severe and…
With a fresh cup of coffee balanced on my knee, I quickly scanned my church’s cafe area for a place to land where I could have a supportive tabletop. The only vacant spot at a table was next to a 7-year-old boy who sat alone with a cup of hot…
Note: This column was updated July 9, 2025, to correct the year the author’s mother retired from May 2024 to May 2023. I’ve been putting off this column for months, I guess in the hopes that it’d become easier to write. I didn’t want to go public until I…
One of my favorite pastimes is cruising the sidewalks of our downtown area all by myself. I have a wheelchair-accessible van, but I need my friends to drive it, which means I rarely go anywhere in public alone. There have been seasons in my adult life, though, when I’ve lived…
Did you know dogs can be diagnosed with SMA? I did. As a child, I used to stare up at a news clipping of research about the condition in canines, which was pinned to the wall in the office of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore) (MDAS). My…
While you might recognize Val Kilmer from iconic films like “Top Gun” or “Batman Forever,” the first of his movies I saw was probably one of my mom’s favorites, “The Saint.” It’s the story of an orphaned con artist who, stripped of his own identity in…
Starting with Brownies in second grade, my stint in the Girl Scouts lasted five years. The Girl Scouts’ motto is “Be prepared.” As the firstborn, Taurus child of teacher parents, that came easy for me. Growing up, I tended to be generally organized and responsible — a dream…
In 2001, I was a bright-eyed college freshman, ready to change the world with my bleached highlights, cargo pants, and purple-framed power wheelchair. I felt like I had already achieved and overcome so many things in the 18 years since I was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 2…
At the time I applied to be a columnist for SMA News Today, I knew just one piece of career advice: what you do in your personal life matters — especially if you’re a volunteer for anything. I was 19 when I received that advice. I had no formal…
