The Wolf Finally Frees Itself – a column by Brianna Albers

Brianna (she/her) is a crip cyborg storyteller living in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She was diagnosed with SMA Type II at 9 months of age and lives with co-occurring physical and mental health conditions. By day, she works as an advocate, bridging disability and mental health awareness to empower people to live their best lives; by night, she dabbles in imagination, and is in the process of making the book of her heart, “#WaningCrescent,” the best it can be. Find her online at www.briannahopealbers.com and on social media @briehalbers.

October 26, 2020October 23, 2020

My Body Is My Home

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

I write a lot about the body. It’s inescapable in my line of work. I identify as disabled, and more than that, my disability is painfully visible. But my ... Read more

October 19, 2020October 15, 2020

In Defense of Cybernetics

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

If you’re a member of the SMA News Today Forums, you might know that I trialed the JACO robotic arm a few months ago. When I heard that Numotion ... Read more

October 12, 2020October 8, 2020

The Evrysdi Chronicles: Waiting for a Diagnosis

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

Let me set the scene. It’s 9 a.m. I’ve been awake since 6. My poor, sweet dad has been up since 5:30. We’ve been preparing for this gut punch ... Read more

October 5, 2020October 1, 2020

Doggone It, I Deserve It!

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

Every once in a while, I get the urge to go to the hospital. I’m not sick. I’m not concerned for my health. But there’s something about hospital stays ... Read more

September 28, 2020September 24, 2020

Shine Meditations Are Helping Me Build Somatic Awareness

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

I’m a big fan of mindfulness. In theory, at least. Mindfulness is associated with all sorts of benefits: greater tolerance, focus, and self-acceptance, decreased reactivity, an understanding of negative, ... Read more

September 21, 2020September 17, 2020

‘Disability Visibility’ Imagines a Wildly Necessary Future

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

Content warning: The following contains discussions of ableism and eugenics. I knew from the dedication that “Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century” would be healing. “To my ... Read more

September 14, 2020September 10, 2020

I Think My Dreams Are Telling Me Something

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

The romantic in me wants to believe that dreams are portents, or windows to the psyche, or invaluable self-knowledge tools. But the therapist in me, who dabbled in clinical ... Read more

August 31, 2020August 27, 2020

For Some Disabled People, Early Start Times Are Inaccessible

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

My dad and I are night owls. We rarely leave the house before noon — and when we do, we complain the entire time, like a pair of sulky ... Read more

August 24, 2020August 20, 2020

The Truth About SMA Awareness Month

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

Not everyone likes it. A while back, I was talking to a friend in Singapore who also has SMA. She mentioned that although she wanted to post something for ... Read more

August 17, 2020August 13, 2020

Storms and SMA: The Opposite of a Love Story

Columns, The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers

When it comes to storms, I’m a dog with high levels of anxiety. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rain. A gentle rainfall is the perfect backdrop to ... Read more