The Christmas Tree in the Bay Window
Growing up, there was a big bay window in the house where I lived. It overlooked the front yard and gave a great view of the surrounding houses and outside world. The…
Life, One Cup at a Time
— Alyssa Silva
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.
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Finding gratitude, even amid the toughest battles of life with SMA
Living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) often means facing many hardships and uncertainties. With physical limitations, emotional hurdles, and complex medical issues, SMA is constantly shaping and shifting my life. Though these are…
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Merry Flu Season
This morning, I woke up to a most unusual greeting from my mother. “Good morning. I want you to stay out of Massachusetts,” she said while removing the BiPAP from my nose.
Practicing Simplicity and Finding Peace Amid a Chaotic Life
As Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong softly sing Christmas classics in the background, I ask my mother to set me up on my iPhone so I can gear up to write another…
Wishing for Free Time
Free time is a beautiful and wonderful thing to have in a day. It allows time for the activities we love most, breaks up our days so we’re not wearing ourselves thin,…
The Season: Pneumonia Edition
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…
Spare Me from Your Sippy Cup
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…
Why I’m Grateful for Another Year
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…
The Perfect Bite-Sized Amount
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…
My Wheelchair Is Dead. Now What?
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…
Promise You Won’t Quit, OK?
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…
Life Before and After Spinraza, Part 2
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…
Life Before and After Spinraza, Part 1
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…
