I just bought and used my first all-terrain wheelchair
“Watch out for that Heidi Brown,” my dad likes to say. “She’ll keep you on your toes.” It’s true. If there’s one thing my mom excels at (and there are many), it’s coming up…
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.
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I’m learning nonattachment in my course on world literature
Words always come to me when I need them. Lines by Ada Limón, Anne Boyer, and Marie Howe act as life preservers, guiding me back to my center. When life gets tough, I…
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How the pandemic changed online school for the better
I’m about to date myself, but hang with me for a sec. Back in my day (which wasn’t really that long ago; I’m not that old), online school was unthinkable. Perpetually online folks like…
Weighing the pros and cons of disclosing my disability online
The thing about visible disabilities is that you can’t really hide them. You can try, but there’s only so much you can do when it comes to a big honking wheelchair. The internet, however,…
This SMA Awareness Month, I’m finding different ways to advocate
If you’d asked me a year ago what my plans were for SMA Awareness Month, I would’ve come back with a laundry list of items, from Instagram Reels to the Minnesota Walk-n-Roll…
How a complex care program is revolutionizing my healthcare
I was supposed to be preparing for an upcoming work trip to Austin, Texas. Instead, I was sitting in a hospital room, waiting for the doctor on call to look at the area around…
After pondering it for 2 decades, I finally enrolled in my dream school
When I graduated with a master’s degree in 2020, people kept asking me if I’d ever go back to school. I looked them in the eye and with all seriousness said, “Over my dead…
29 and going on 19: A golden retrospective
Months ago, I had an idea for a column. I wrote it down with the intention of revisiting it around my golden birthday on June 29: “Diagnosed at nine months, given nine years to…
Sometimes big plans are canceled when you put your health first
I’d been anxious about our trip to Austin, Texas, for months. I look forward to the annual Cure SMA conference every year around June, but my excitement this time was tempered by a…
How undiagnosed food sensitivities led to my yeast overgrowth
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with naturopathy. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. I started naturopathy over a…
While sometimes hard to admit, I’m still learning how to handle burnout
I was all ready to skip this week’s column, convinced I had nothing to say and no energy with which to say it, when I realized something. I’m burned out. It crept up on…
Why I’m rethinking my use of social media as a disability advocate
In the stillness of my room, a voice says to me, “You should quit social media.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard this voice. But it’s the first I’ve given it any sort…
Persistence is key when living with SMA
On a rainy day in April, I write the final words of my third novel: “The End.” If you follow me on social media, you’ll know this book has not been without its hiccups.
