Learning Self-love from My PCA’s Daughter
When I first met Elena, my patient care assistant’s daughter, she was almost 2, with chubby cheeks and golden ringlets of hair. She was shy — painfully so. It took…
The Wolf Finally Frees Itself
— Brianna Albers
Brianna Albers (she/her) is a crip-cyborg storyteller living in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 in 1996 and lives with co-occurring physical and mental health conditions. By day she works as an advocate, bridging disability and mental health awareness to empower people to live their best lives; by night, she dabbles in imagination, and is currently writing “An Angel in the Garden,” an adult space fantasy with #OwnVoices disability representation. Find her online at briannahopealbers.com and on social media @briehalbers.
Featured Post
What do you do when video game accessibility is inaccessible?
It’s 2014. I’m months-deep into a major depressive episode. Nothing is enjoyable, not even my all-time favorite video game. I feel listless in the worst of ways. Several of my friends are playing “Dragon Age: Inquisition” (DAI), the…
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I Feel Gratitude in the Wake of Zolgensma
Everyone and their mother is talking about Zolgensma (AVXS-101). Just like what happened with the release of Spinraza (nusinersen), people everywhere are sharing links to news stories on the groundbreaking new medication. I feel…
Despite a Chaotic Family Schedule, I Feel Gratitude in the Midst of Stress
It’s been, as they say, a day. My parents bought an airplane hangar and are transferring it to our vacation home in Wisconsin. My dad wants to turn it into a…
Living with SMA Sometimes Means Recognizing Your Own Brokenness
I write a lot about brokenness. I always have. It’s one of the themes of my work, not only as a writer — but also as a (future) mental health professional. Looking back, I’m sure it has…
Off the Clock: Embracing My Abnormal Circadian Rhythms
I’ve always been a night owl. It’s a running joke in our family: My dad and I stay up until 11 p.m. or midnight, while my mom has a strict schedule comprising 8:30 p.m. bedtimes. She gets…
When Resilience Is the Norm
I have a reputation in my group of friends for not knowing any music. It’s gotten to the point where my friends have started making playlists of music that I missed out on in high school, such…
Taking Accutane for Acne Brings the Stress of Bloodwork
The thing about taking amoxicillin every day for years is that your body builds up an immunity. It works for a while, and then, without warning, it doesn’t, which is why it’s more…
Fumbling Through the Dark: Navigating Adulthood with SMA
I was recently asked about resources in the SMA community — what’s available, but also what’s missing and what we would most benefit from. Before I started this column, I didn’t really…
Crossing Items Off My Bucket List: My New Tattoo
I finally got a tattoo. It may not seem like that big of a deal; people get tattoos all the time, sometimes they decide to get inked on a whim. You can show…
The Power of a Platform
I’ve been meaning to update my website for years, so I sat down in January with the intent of revisiting my online presence. It just so happened that my sitting…
Experimenting with SSRIs to Treat SMA-related Depression
I’ve thought about starting an antidepressant medication several times over the years. As a sophomore in college, fresh off the realization that my anxiety and…
Practicing Sustainability with SMA
I try to be environmentally conscious. I’ve been using my Google Home for years now, and have been switching as much of my home as possible to smart technology. My…
