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  • Greetings

    Posted by diane on July 30, 2024 at 5:27 pm

    Hi, Hello, and welcome everyone that reads this,

    Let me introduce myself. I am Diane, and I am my fiancé’s caregiver, assistant, and arms and legs. Andrew is his name but he goes by Drew. Drew has type 2 SMA. I met Drew online 2 years ago on Match, and he always tells me why I chose him. I chose to be with him because of his personality, his drive to be a better person, his complete confidence, and his honesty and truthfulness. I did not look at his disability as a disability, but he is Drew. A human is a person who wants to be a normal, regular person but is not. I used to be in healthcare before meeting Drew, working in the ICU, and seeing different forms of life. I worked firsthand on the front lines of the COVID pandemic. Holding a dying patient’s hand when they are alone, being their comfort when no one can get into the hospital. That experience made me think of my life and the quality of it. I was going through a bad divorce, being a single mom to 3 kids. When I met Drew, I was lost in a dark hole. He brought me out of it. When Drew told me about his disability, I researched it. I wanted to learn more and learn how to properly take care of him. Research and read articles about his SMA. I wanted to learn more.

    deann-r replied 4 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • alyssa-silva

    Member
    August 1, 2024 at 11:19 am

    Hi Diane. Thank you so much for introducing yourself. 🙂 I love hearing how couples meet. Do you and Drew have a wedding date picked out yet?

  • susana-m

    Member
    August 1, 2024 at 5:41 pm

    Hi Diane and Drew, welcome to our community. It’s great that you are so invested in learning about each other’s lives and this is a good place to learn about SMA.

    The most valuable thing I found here is not what’s in the studies or the latest data, it’s how real people find real solutions. We all have challenges and difficulties, but there’s profound creativity and determination when we choose to live.

    Not just breathe or occupy space.

    Live your life.

    See you around the forums.

  • deann-r

    Member
    August 2, 2024 at 9:30 am

    Welcome! If there’s anything specific you want to know, don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks for sharing your story. We’re glad to have you here and thank you for your years of service in healthcare. I’m sure being on the frontline during Covid couldn’t have been easy. Did you learn anything helpful you can pass along?

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