Five Servings of Strength
— Michael Casten

Technology is a big part of our lives these days. It helps us with learning, shopping, and communicating, among other facets. Kids today rely on technology for many of their needs. But what about kids with spinal muscular…

Ella has always loved to sing. Because she can’t join physical activities or play an instrument, we decided to enroll her in the Young Naperville Singers (YNS) choir. Ella was overjoyed. She finally had something like…

My alarm went off at 7:09 a.m. I rolled out of bed and walked into Ella’s room. She lay sleeping peacefully. I went downstairs and met both dogs, who were ready to go out for the morning. I made a…

Ella looks forward to her Spinraza (nusinersen) treatments for SMA. She knows that Spinraza helps her get stronger. And while she doesn’t like the smell of the anesthesia, she toughs it out anyway. This round of Spinraza…

Ella has not been out of the house for weeks. She spends much of her time doing schoolwork. Every morning, her teacher has a class meeting on Zoom. Ella tunes in to get the day’s lesson.

Ella is a social person. She loves developing relationships with others and is always up for a family night. She builds delicate yet sturdy friendships with people and navigates these relationships well beyond her years. Having SMA presents…

All three of our kids — Ava, Henry, and Ella — have been stuck inside the house for a month or so due to COVID-19 quarantine. They’ve been finishing school work, playing on their devices, and doing other small…

Like everybody else, Ella has been kept in the house because of COVID-19. During the school week, she spends much of her morning working on classroom assignments. Each morning she has a Zoom meeting (virtual conferencing) with her…

Spring is peering its head around the corner of winter. Some warm days with slight winds blow the remaining leaves around in swirls. Small yellow flowers poke themselves up through the hardened ground. Buds are forming on tree branches and…

It was a sad time when our dear Potter had to be put to sleep because he had T-cell lymphoma. Our entire family went along for that, including Potter’s sister, Ginny. We knew our 3-year-old dog wouldn’t make it, so…

School books, folders, random scratch paper, art supplies, food, drinks. All of this lay aimlessly on our kitchen table. Until recently, my children — Ava, Henry, and Ella — spent much of their day at the table. There, they engaged…

Ella loves school. She thrives on social interactions and has a thirst for knowledge. Every day after school she gets a snack and pulls up to the breakfast room table to work on her homework. On weekends she plays school…