As I entered week six of COVID-19 lockdown, I knew I had a choice to make. I could continue to experience the effects of being unable to go to my aquatic therapy appointments and allow my body to remain stagnant, or I could…
Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer
The receptionist at my physical therapy clinic looked up from his computer, meeting my eyes. I could see the lightbulb shine in his brain. “That’s right, I remember your name was Kevin because you look like the guy in ‘Clerks.’” Being a…
Amid the cluster of medical equipment, my childhood bedroom had an even more distinguishable feature: buckets and buckets of plastic action figures. I had everything from six-inch “Star Wars” figurines to characters from the beloved Nickelodeon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” I could…
Editor’s note: This column discusses some of the plot of Netflix’s documentary film “Crip Camp.” A new Netflix documentary called “Crip Camp” opens with an eclectic credits sequence set to the tune of “For What it’s Worth…
A blue body cast covered me from my waist down. The pain in my right leg skyrocketed each time I moved. I intentionally tried to avoid going to the bathroom, because I couldn’t endure the misery of transferring out of my bed. Just the sight of my mobile…
Almost every aspect of my life with SMA comes with a risk factor. Whether I’m traveling out of town or going to a movie with friends in the wintertime, I’m putting my already compromised immune and respiratory systems at risk. My health has improved significantly in recent years,…
I spend the majority of my time in my power wheelchair. Other than my weekly water therapy sessions, I’m usually in my chair from when I get up in the morning to when I go to bed at night. My…
The music of Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and a bunch of movie soundtracks regularly play in the background of my home office. Thanks to Amazon Alexa technology, I can easily control my music and podcasts with simple voice commands. I always like to listen to…
Feb. 29 is Rare Disease Day. On that day people are encouraged to spread awareness about a multitude of rare diseases and conditions, from SMA to cystic fibrosis to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The umbrella…
On Super Bowl Sunday in 2013, I attended my first meeting at NC State’s student newspaper, Technician. I went on a whim with zero journalism experience. My only hope was to maybe write a few movie reviews for the publication. Little did I…
