There’s a character in the musical “Wicked” that I strongly relate to. She has the cutest slippers in the film, and her first day at Shiz University barely hints at the whirlwind of tragedies that await her. Throughout the story, she spends much of her time trying to prove herself.
Wandering the Lines — Sherry Toh
Sherry “Elisa” Toh (she/they) is a journalist who lives in sunny Singapore. Her diagnosis of SMA type II was in 1999 at 13 months old. Kyphoscoliosis and chronic neuropathy later developed as complications. As a hopeless romantic, her loves include fairy tales, tea, and gaming — the last being the primary focus of her work. She has bylines in PCGamesN, NME, and more. In 2023, her essay “Virtual Progress: A Disabled Journalist’s Thoughts on the Video Games Industry” was published in Singapore’s first printed disability studies anthology, “Not Without Us: Perspective on Disabilities and Inclusion in Singapore.” She writes in hopes of offering community and catharsis. Find her @sherlisass on social media.
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I had no idea that I didn’t have a “normal” amount of makeup. Despite owning two full bags of products, excluding my brushes, it never occurred to me that I possessed more than the average person. It wasn’t until I brought my kit to a friend to borrow for her…
The magic of theater is that it’s live. Despite having a script, cues, rehearsals, and anything else the cast and crew can use to achieve consistency, the live nature of theater means the production remains mutable. You can’t “lock in” scenes like you can with film. Plus, not only will…
I have, shall we say, a rather indulgent approach to the month of December, which my family and friends can attest to. By the time the holiday season rolls around, I’ve already placed carefully chosen gifts under our Christmas tree. My goal every year is to show my loved ones…
“Sherry has big dreams!” my neurologist once told my mom while explaining the difficult decisions my medical team had to make, adding that the team was doing its best. At the time, I had wanted to become a video game writer, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the creators…
It’s a running joke in my family that, if we had the money, we’d build me a robot caregiver like Baymax from Disney’s “Big Hero 6.” Training human caregivers is nothing short of exhausting. Humans need food and sleep, they forget things, and most problematic of all, they have their…
In the true fashion of a passionate actor, Neil Newbon opens a TEDx Talk by imitating an ape — a choice inspired by his role voicing the lead ape in the video game “Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier.” Throughout the presentation, he effortlessly switches between other characters…
Last in a series. Read part one. “How are you feeling today, Sherry?” my director asked. We were about to rehearse for a play we’re working on. I’m still new to performing, and SMA makes me prone to fatigue, so before we start, she always checks on how…
First in a series. Maybe it (sadly) goes without saying, maybe it doesn’t, but if you Google “spinal muscular atrophy actor,” you won’t find a single SMA patient with a long filmography filled with recognizable projects. You’ll find Alexa Dectis, the child actor turned entertainment lawyer and one…
“Time for your whirlwind 20s, babe!” When my best friend and fellow SMA News Today columnist, Brianna Albers, said that a month ago, I couldn’t have imagined how much I would feel her words. She’d said it in the context of me wanting to meet some (admittedly questionable)…
What do my doctors and dates have in common? It’s that I’ve asked most of them this question: “Am I the first person with SMA you’ve met?” Surprisingly, I’ve heard a few doctors tell me no. I may be the first adult SMA patient they’ve treated, but they’ve seen…
I once read that fear is the other side of the coin to excitement, pleasure, or comfort. Without any research into whether the statement is true or false (it’s true), I nodded and said, “That makes sense.” Why else would people seek out horror films, roller coasters, even kink?…
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