Brianna Albers

Happy December! I’m two days away from a “Star Wars” marathon that I’ve been planning for months and have been dreaming about for years. At least 10 people are coming, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’ll be the biggest party I’ve ever hosted. I’m excited, but also nervous. I’m honestly relieved that we’ll be watching movies the entire d…[Read more]

Hi everyone! This has been on my list forever, and I still haven’t gotten to it, but I’ve heard the Brazilian Netflix series, 3%, has some wheelchair representation! I don’t know much about it, but from what I can tell, it looks similar to The Hunger Games. There’s definitely some post-apocalyptic vibes going on!

I heard about it when it…[Read more]

Hi everyone! A good friend of mine is watching (and raving about) “The Dragon Prince,” so I thought I’d pass on the recommendation. One of the characters is deaf and speaks in sign language. From what my friend has told me, it’s actually sign language — and the character’s disability isn’t used as a plot point. She speaks in sign language, one…[Read more]

Hi everyone!

I wrote my November column early, so it’s available to read right now. It’s a personal one, but ironically, I enjoyed writing it. I feel weird talking about my “nighttime anxiety,” like I’m overreacting or something, so it helped to put things into words. Here, I was able to take a step back and go, “Wow, yeah, no wonder I ha…[Read more]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Alyssa recently celebrated her 29th birthday with some friends and was reminded of a hospital visit several years prior. In her latest column, she reflects on what the memories brought up for her. Instead of focusing on health problems, Alyssa turned her attention to the friends she was celebrating…[Read more]

Happy Monday! In her latest column, Alyssa discusses her family’s “sick rules.” Whenever one of her family members is sick, they’re quarantined for seven to 10 days. It’s harsh, but everyone agrees that it’s the best way to beat the germs.

Things got complicated when both of Alyssa’s parents were out for the count. Her mom was sick and her…[Read more]

Happy Tuesday! My column for October is about ableist encounters. I’ve experienced my fair share over the years, but recently, there have been some that really stuck out to me. Between the comments themselves and how, when I ignored them, the person said it again and again, as if they needed to know that I heard them …

I try to assume pos…[Read more]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend.

In her latest column, Alyssa talks about her role as the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding. She was worried that SMA would make her responsibilities difficult. Would she have enough energy to make it through the reception? In the end, she found a balance between rest and activity. U…[Read more]

Happy October everyone!

In her latest column, Alyssa reflects on her very first wheelchair: a Jaguar. It took her a while to get the hang of driving. However, she was—and still is—grateful for the freedom it gave her as a toddler. She’s had her current wheelchair for 10 years, and her physical therapist has made the executive decisio…[Read more]

Happy Monday! It’s the last day of September — originally, I wasn’t ready for summer to end, but now I’m looking forward to fall.

In her latest column, Alyssa reflects on the back-to-school season. She remembers her first day of middle school and all the emotions that went along with it: excitement, nerves, and anticipation, among others.…[Read more]

Happy Monday!

In her latest column, Alyssa reflects on the impact of Spinraza. She’s grown used to the gains she’s seen, from improved lung function to an increase in stamina. However, her latest dose was delayed because of an insurance holdup. She noticed several changes in the weeks she was waiting for her dose, from fatigue to emo…[Read more]

Happy Tuesday!

My column for September is about happiness. I’ve been thinking a lot about the topic and how happiness differs from person to person, and even from age to age. For example, as a teenager, I had very specific ideas as to how happiness would look like, ideas that were largely influenced by all the romcoms I grew up with as a…[Read more]

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend.

Alyssa’s latest column struck a chord with me. I’ve written several columns on caregivers myself, so I immediately understood the grief Alyssa mentions in “How a Cup of Tea Helps Me to Grieve the Absence of a Caregiver.” You tell yourself it’s just a job for the people taking ca…[Read more]

Happy September, everyone!

In her latest column, Alyssa dives into her love of football. She never used to enjoy the sport, but one Sunday, she had the house to herself and turned on a New England Patriots game. She learned the terminology and quickly fell in love. Fall is her favorite time of year because the season brings another…[Read more]

Hi everyone! Monday’s “31 Days of SMA” post was close to my heart, as it spoke to intersectionality. Intersectionality refers to the complex overlap of different identities, particularly with regards to discrimination. In Monday’s post, Hugo Trevino discussed his identity as a gay, disabled, Mexican American male with an M.A. in Educati…[Read more]

Happy Monday, everyone! Last week of August — can you believe?!

Friday’s “31 Days of SMA” post was a special one. Natalie’s brother, JC, was born right around the time she was diagnosed with SMA. Their parents weren’t sure if JC would have SMA as well, but their suspicions were confirmed when he lost the ability to stand. From that point on, N…[Read more]

Hi everyone!

My column for the month of August went up yesterday. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been having trouble with lab technicians lately. As part of my Accutane regimen, I have to get monthly pregnancy tests. I opted to do these via bloodwork as opposed to urine samples.

No one listens to me when I req…[Read more]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend.

In her latest column, Alyssa recounts a recent getaway and all the planning that went into the trip. For her fellow bridesmaids, it was as easy as throwing together a weekend bag. Alyssa, however, had to bring all her medical equipment, as well as medications and extra clothes in case of…[Read more]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!

As you may have noticed, Alyssa skipped last week’s column. In this week’s column, she explains that. If it’d been up to her, she wouldn’t have, but to her frustration, her body made the choice for her. She worked herself to the brink to make sure her nonprofit’s annual fundraiser gala went…[Read more]