The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Podcast

In this podcast series, director of forums Kevin Schaefer discusses issues related to SMA, often engaging with others in the patient community for lively discussions. Listen to the first four in the series below and follow SMA News Today on SoundCloud for more.

#127: Kevan Chandler, author, traveler, and nonprofit founder

In episode 127, host Kevin Schaefer talks with Kevan Chandler, founder of the nonprofit organization We Carry Kevan. In 2016, Kevan used an adaptive backpack so that his friends could carry him on a trip across Europe. This adventure formed the basis of his nonprofit. Kevan is now an author, speaker, and world traveler. He has SMA type 2, and he currently lives in Indiana with his wife, Katie.

About Kevin Schaefer

Kevin graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s in English in 2016, and he is passionate about different forms of storytelling. He started at BioNews in 2017 as a columnist for SMA News Today, sharing his experiences as an adult with SMA type 2. He eventually transitioned to a full-time role, helping build the company’s multimedia and forums divisions.

As director of forums, he is responsible for supporting the director of multichannel content in bridging the gap between our patient populations and our websites. He does this through building and maintaining patient and caregiver forums across BioNews’ disease sites. He oversees every step of the process, including hiring, training, and guiding forum moderators. His goal is to create engaging and supportive online communities for patients and caregivers to connect.