Embracing My Inner Alien – a column by Kevin Schaefer

April 17, 2018April 16, 2018

Adventures in the Big Apple (Part 1)

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

Before I go any further with this column, let me go ahead and get this out of the way: My parents are awesome, and I saw “Hamilton” on Broadway with ... Read more

April 10, 2018April 9, 2018

How Having SMA Friends Has Helped Me

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

Growing up, I only had a handful of friends with SMA. As a result of my desire to be “normal,” I didn’t show much interest in engaging in any ... Read more

April 3, 2018April 2, 2018

Good Friends and New Adventures

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

Last week, I wrote about how living with SMA requires me to be proactive. When I want something or I desire to be more independent, I often have to ... Read more

March 27, 2018March 23, 2018

Independence Means Proactive Living

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

Over the years, I’ve talked with many SMA individuals and people with other disabilities who crave more independence in their lives. Beyond the physical limitations that come with having ... Read more

March 20, 2018March 19, 2018

Using My ‘Handicapped Card’

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

When I was a kid, my family used me to bump to the front of the line for the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World. Despite my kicking and ... Read more

March 13, 2018March 12, 2018

Using My Amazon Echo Show, Part 2

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

I’ve written in the past about my Echo Show from Amazon Alexa, but I wanted to provide further updates on how this device is helping me in my daily ... Read more

March 6, 2018March 5, 2018

A Balancing Act

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

February was a pretty exhausting month for me. I kicked it off with a two-week stint of pneumonia and a weekend in the hospital, then I got straight back ... Read more

February 27, 2018February 27, 2018

A Question that Surprised Me

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

Having SMA means that strangers approach me on a regular basis. From the onlooker who’s infatuated with my service dog, to the 10,000th person who sees my wheelchair and ... Read more

February 20, 2018February 19, 2018

Recovering from Pneumonia, Getting Back to Work

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

Alas, after a long couple weeks of constantly spitting phlegm into a cup and spending hours attached to my Vest Airway Clearance System, I’m finally getting over this pneumonia ... Read more

February 13, 2018February 12, 2018

Avoiding the Flu, Catching Pneumonia Instead

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

It’s been a pretty lousy week for me, to say the least. What started as a ridiculously annoying cough in the middle of the first week of February eventually ... Read more