Social Clips

Boy With SMA Gets Tickets for Panthers Playoff Game

Jack Bolton is a 12-year-old Carolina Panthers super fan. He’s such a big fan that his parents arranged for Jack to be the team’s coach for a day back in 2013 (with some help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, of course). Boy with SMA becomes Carolina Panthers coach for a day. ESPN reported that Jack…

12 SMA Resources for Young Adults

Just because you have spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) doesn’t mean you can’t live a rich and fulfilling life. Young adults with SMA want the same things as young adults without SMA: go to college, get a job they enjoy, live independently. However, they may need a little bit of help along the way. We’ve…

Boy With SMA Becomes Carolina Panthers’ Coach For a Day

This heartwarming video from Make-A-Wish Central & Western NC is all about eight-year-old Jack Bolton, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) at birth. Having SMA doesn’t stop Jack from getting involved in the school football games at recess—the only difference is that instead of playing, he coaches.

SMA Stories: Nella

This very moving short film from S Group is about six-month-old Nella. Nella has type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare and fatal genetic disorder. Learn more about the faulty gene responsible for spinal muscular atrophy. Her parents, Grace and Baron, talk about how devastated they were when Nella was…

SMA and Sport: Reach Beyond Your Limits

https://vimeo.com/140555319 In this video from SOSAVY, 17-year-old Melanie Tran talks about what it’s like living with type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Melanie explains that she’s currently taking on the Australian Duke of Edinburgh award, which is a scheme for teens and young adults to work towards goals and…

What is SMARD1?

SMARD1 or spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress syndrome is a rare genetic motor neuron disorder affecting less than 200,000 infants in the U.S. It is an extremely serious condition that (without a ventilator) only has a life expectancy of 13 months. Two cases of SMARD1 in India highlight the…