My Latest Wheelchair Woes May Soon Be Over
A year after I started fine-tuning the seating of my new wheelchair, I found myself back where it all started. I wrote a few weeks ago about my continuing struggles with the chair.
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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With cancer in the family, my SMA has been out of the spotlight
Note: This column was updated July 9, 2025, to correct the year the author’s mother retired from May 2024 to May 2023. I’ve been putting off this column for months, I guess in…
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Celebrating My 1st Evrysdi-versary and Looking to the Future
My first Evrysdi-versary passed without incident. Ironic, considering how much time and effort I put into acquiring the medication. A disease-modifying treatment (DMT) for SMA is no small thing. Spinraza (nusinersen) took the community…
Thanks, but Your Prayers Really Aren’t Necessary
Last Sunday, my dad took me by surprise. “I don’t have anything planned for today,” he said as he helped me get out of bed. “Let’s do something fun.” I assumed he meant something…
Giving Up Isn’t a Personal Failure
When it comes to new wheelchairs, I’ve been known to drag my feet. My parents love to tell the story of how my last chair sat in our basement library for a year after…
Surprised by the Benefits of Gummy Vitamins
It all started so innocently. Let me start with a clarification: I did not fall prey to a multilevel marketing scheme. I will not barge into your DMs with “an opportunity” — or, in…
The Recent Rare Disease Panel Made My Year
Like most things when it comes to Sherry, it was a no-brainer. A few weeks ago, I woke to a string of messages in our shared Discord server. An SMA News Today columnist,…
I’m Starting to Weather the Midwinter Bleakness
Every 28 days or so, I convince myself that I’m dying. If you’ve read my column before, you’ll know that I have a complicated relationship with death, which is to say I see it…
Cat vs. Allergies: A Devil’s Bargain
I never think about my life after 7 p.m. Years ago, I stumbled across this particularly helpful life tip. As someone with anxiety, I have a hard time shutting up my brain, especially…
A Year Later, I’m Still Wearing Old Shoes
Last January, I wrote about shoes. At the time, I was gearing up to get a new wheelchair. Those who are familiar with wheelchairs will recognize this process for what it is: absolute…
The Enemy Is Urgency
In 2019, something wonderful happened. I got bit by the tattoo bug. If you’ve followed my column for a while, you’ll know my first tattoo was a big deal. First, it was…
Even in the Midst of COVID-19, We Must Own Our Time
As I write this, my room glows in the midafternoon sun. Sometime last year, I invested in a suncatcher, so there are rainbows everywhere — pastel sunbursts that are there, then gone. It’s unseasonably…
Having a Body Is a Full-time Job
“One thing’s for sure,” I tell my dad. “This is going to make a great column.” I’d been dreading this doctor’s appointment for days, and not just because of the hell that is commuting…
