Author Archives: Alyssa Silva

“So, what’s your silver lining?” a friend asked me one night in late spring. My parents and I had recently decided to go forth and allow outdoor visits again, as long as our guests followed social distancing and mask-wearing rules. He was the first visitor I had in months.

I was a sophomore in high school when my parents and I agreed to home-school me during the winter months. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a necessary one nevertheless. In January of that year, I had been hospitalized with double pneumonia for the first…

I admit that this column’s title is one I never thought I’d write. But alas, it is 2020, and most of this year has been a series of “never thought I’d ever” moments. So, for the sake of what’s on my heart today, I’ll accept how unconventional the title…

In a speech to hundreds of people at my nonprofit organization’s annual gala, my mother stood at the podium and delivered her words poignantly and eloquently. She has always had a way with words, knowing what to say at the right time while leaving the…

It’s officially August, which is kind of hard to believe. Nonetheless, many people in the SMA community have anticipated this month for quite some time. Not only is it SMA Awareness Month, but it is also when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was expected…

This is going to be a tough truth to admit, mostly because I’m still a little embarrassed by it all these years later. But, here we go. When I was originally offered this role as a columnist for BioNews — the company that publishes this website — I…

It’s no question that children are curious little people, and as someone in a wheelchair, I have often witnessed their curiosity. If I were to guess, I’d assume disabilities aren’t something they’ve seen in their short little lifetimes. As a result, they stare and allow their curiosity to get…