Soaring With Hope – a Column by Ari Anderson

Ari was diagnosed with SMA Type I at 6 months of age in 1982, when the prognosis was almost hopeless. 38 years later, medical therapies have changed the prognosis to hopeful. Yet, the rest of society has a long way to catch up in how they see people with SMA. Through his column, “Soaring With Hope,” Ari shares how he changes views through advocacy, innovative technology, and determination. In his writings, Ari wants to inspire hope by helping others rise above their frustrating hardships.

Embracing the Coexistence of Joy and Sorrow

While reflecting on my life today, a witty phrase popped into my head. I laughed to myself as I thought, “I don’t have to go looking for trouble, trouble will find me.” As I’ve said before, if I didn’t have a sense of humor about some things, I would…

Advocacy Starts With Being Kind to Yourself

Today, I thought about the question, “How can I become a better advocate?” For the first time, I realized that I’d taken part in advocacy activities even when I didn’t know it. This is how it happened. I like to buy and download turn-based PC games. In these, I…

My Beautiful Journey Toward Personal Growth

Today I want to talk more about my outlook on life, as well as yours. Hopefully, nobody who regularly reads what I write ever comes away thinking that I have it all together. I will be working on my outlook and personal growth until the day I die. I hope…