Alyssa Silva is a writer based out of Providence, Rhode Island. She was diagnosed with SMA type 1 in 1991 when she was just 5 months old. Aside from writing, Alyssa is the chief creative officer for an intimates brand and runs a small business selling her artwork. In her free time, you can find her canceling plans to hang out with her golden retrievers, watching reruns of “The Office,” and convincing others why Taylor Swift is the greatest of all time.
When I was a little girl, I loved searching for dandelions at the first sign of spring. My mother would pick one off the ground for me, and I’d excitedly use all my strength and breath to remove the…
Well, friends, today’s column is going to be unlike what you read here most in my little corner of the internet. That’s because this column is brought to you by endless fluids, antibiotics, steroids, and a…
Let’s start this column off in the most real way possible. I’m weird. And I’m not afraid to let everyone know. I’m not talking about my weirdly disproportionate head-to-body ratio or that I have an arm that…
Birthdays take on a slightly different meaning around here. At this time every year, I think about a story my mother once told me about the first birthday I celebrated and wonder how painful and heart-wrenching it…
Until I was 15, I managed to stay reasonably healthy. But for the first time in almost a decade that year, I was hospitalized. The winter months can be tricky, with colds and flu taking over just…
My wheelchair has been my ultimate sidekick since I was a curly-headed toddler, and just like any other great sidekick, I rely on it for pretty much every aspect of life. Without my wheelchair, I would be…
As much as I don’t like to admit it, sometimes life can be brutally unfair. I’m even hesitant to type these words because it seems as though everyone is always so focused on creating and chasing the…
Second in a series. Read Part 1 here. There’s a certain significance that Dec. 4 holds in my life. What started as an ordinary day morphed into the day that forever changed the course of my…
If I asked you right now to tell me what your life’s defining moments were, what would you choose? Would it be something that left you feeling content and hopeful? Or would it be something more dark…
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” We’ve all heard this saying. It has been repeated and engraved into our brains. It teaches us to take the bitterness of life and learn to make it sweet again.
“All right, Alyssa, let’s see how quickly we can do this,” I shouted to my assistant, who conveniently shares my name. I had exactly one hour to get flowers at the local supermarket and get to the…
Did you know that when buffalo sense a storm coming, they run into it? I recently took a writing course, and the instructor shared this fascinating tidbit with us all. Most animals and humans alike seek shelter when we…
In promising to be as open and honest with you at all times, I must preface this column by telling you I find myself in a season of struggle right now. Life as I know it is messy. It’s…