Alyssa Silva

For those who suffer from allergies, how are you holding up with spring officially here? I can’t be certain, but I think Mother Nature has a personal vendetta against me. I’ve been itching to finally spend more time outdoors after another cold and lonely New England winter, but I’m struggling out there. I have always had bad allergies at this…[Read more]

Has anyone watched this short comedy film on YouTube called Jeremy the Dud? It was released a few years ago but I just recently watched it after a friend sent it to me. It’s basically like an alternate universe where the majority of people are disabled and those that are able-bodied are treated with the same prejudices many of us experience t…[Read more]

Hey, does anyone here deal with vertigo? Mine is so bad right now, I can just about type this forum. It’s always worse during the spring, but I don’t think it has ever been THIS bad before. Needless to say, I’m struggling. My doctors don’t want me taking decongestants or Meclizine (or other motion sickness meds), and to be honest I can’t remember…[Read more]

Hey all. I am the world’s lightest sleeper and probably haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in, like, ten years. I read a recent column by our very own, Brianna, and noticed how she takes melatonin. She made it sound promising, but I’ve always been afraid to try it because my body is super sensitive to drugs and I fear it’ll leave me feeling d…[Read more]

Decided to switch things up and interview my older brother, Adam, for my latest column which you can read here. I was so excited to have the opportunity to interview him and show the world what an amazing guy he truly is. There were many times in life where SMA overshadowed his life, but never once did Adam complain or let it affect him. I’ve a…[Read more]

Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you know that Kevin and I are going live on Instagram tomorrow night at 7pm EST to discuss self-image, platonic relationships, and disability representation. If you have Instagram and want to watch it, be sure to follow @smanewstoday. I’ve never done a live before, so I’m a little nervous. Excited as well tho…[Read more]

I always love learning more about people’s adaptive setups because 1) I think we (people with SMA) are extremely creative and innovative in how we go about things and 2) it sparks ideas for me to implement myself.

Today, I thought I’d ask if you have any special setup with assistive technology when it comes to using your computer. I wor…[Read more]

I know it’s still a little premature, but my mom just went for a Covid test because she has a fever and chills. I’m not sure how she could have picked up Covid, but we were at the hospital last week for my Spinraza injection so she could have been exposed there I guess. Hopefully, it’s nothing, but while we wait for her results, is there anyth…[Read more]

I don’t know about you, but I deal with brain fog on a daily basis. Between being chronically tired, having discomfort/pain, and the many nuances that go into managing life with SMA, it’s hard to remember things and stay on track.

Since the start of quarantine, I’ve gotten into the habit of sticking to a schedule which has helped me comba…[Read more]