Joe Pierce

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all having a great week so far.

Check out the latest episode of the SMA News Today podcast here. I interviewed James Ian, a musician and actor who has SMA Type 3. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

We met at this year’s Cure SM…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. For those in the U.S., hope you all enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday.

For today’s Motivation Monday topic, I wanted to talk about how we might use social media as a source of inspiration. While there is plenty of negativity on various social media platforms, there are positive things as well.…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all having a great week so far.

Check out the latest episode of “Ryan’s Robotics” here. In this video, Ryan demonstrates how he uses his JACO Robotic Arm to make coffee. It’s a simple, yet powerful, example of how this device makes Ryan more independent e…[Read more]

Hey everyone!

Since we celebrate Thanksgiving this week in the United States, I wanted to talk about gratitude for today’s Motivation Monday topic. I know those “five things I’m grateful for” lists are super cheesy, but nonetheless I think it’s important to recognize the things in our lives that bring us joy. As this article in Psyc…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all having a great week.

Check out my latest column here. I know I’ve written about this before, but sometimes I struggle to find a good work/life balance. Rest and rejuvenation are crucial for anyone, but especially for those of us with SMA. It’s a lesson I often need to remind myself of.

Fortunately, the North…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all having a great week so far.

Check out the latest episode of the SMA News Today Podcast here. In this roundtable discussion, Michael and I talk about several recent news stories and columns. The first story we look at is a…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend.

For this week’s Motivation Monday post, I have a simple, but important topic. Anyone who’s seen my posts here or read my columns knows that I’m a bookworm. I’ve made it through some of the hardest times in my life by reading. Books and stories have the power to inspire, teach, entertain, m…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all having a great week so far.

Check out my latest column here. I recently had a couple friends on the SMA News Today Podcast, and we spent a lot of time talking about their late son Carson. Carson was a friend of mine, and it was cathartic for me to talk with his parents about his life.

Among other things, w…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend.

For today’s Motivation Monday topic, check out this article from the MDA Quest magazine. The author is a woman with SMA, and a few years ago she and her husband adopted a child who also has SMA. She writes about the unique relationship she and her son have, and how others perceive i…[Read more]

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have had a great week.

Check out my latest column here. I wrote about existing and emerging treatments for SMA, and how surreal it all is. At times I don’t even know what to think, especially because I never gave the future of SMA much thought when I was growing up. It’s a lot of mixed emotions for me…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope November is off to a good start for you all.

I’m proud to present the latest episode of the SMA News Today Podcast right here. This is a heavy conversation, as I talk with my friends Jim and Becky Berry, who lost their eldest son Carson last y…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!

For today’s Motivation Monday topic, I wanted to talk about keeping a journal. In high school I started to journal regularly, and it’s always been a very cathartic form of expression for me. Just writing out my thoughts helped me get through some tough times, and it made me feel good no matte…[Read more]