Ella Joins the Art Club

Henry’s been in soccer for quite some time now, and he’s getting really good at it. He loves to play, attends practices willingly, and looks forward to games each week. Ava takes violin during school and after school. She practices almost every day in the living room. Sometimes Ella sits in her power wheelchair and listens to her, tapping her foot on her footplate to the rhythm. Ava has become quite good at the violin and takes pride in her accomplishments.

Ella has been searching for something she can do as an extracurricular activity. She’s limited in this area due to her confinement in the power wheelchair. She’s tried voice lessons but that didn’t work out — the teacher simply gave her Disney songs to sing but there really wasn’t any teaching occurring. She quit that and continued to search for her niche.

Ella’s in third grade and loves school. She adores her teacher and likes all of her classmates. She races home after school and does her homework while she talks about her day. She also likes to play school and you can hear her teacher’s voice when she pretends. The learning is new and friendships are new.

Another new thing has also come up: Art Club on Tuesday afternoons after school. Ella asked us if she could join the club and we were thrilled to do so. Now she has an extracurricular activity she can call her own. Her first project was to make a pinwheel, and she did so wonderfully. She is so excited to attend the next session and all of the sessions after. We’re thrilled that she has finally found something she can do that brings her such joy.

Despite SMA, Ella thrives in her world. She plays with friends, learns, and is developing her sense of self.

***

Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today, or its parent company, Bionews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.