Author Archives: Connie Chandler

I wiped away tears of happiness and hugged my friend Andrea. She was engaged to be married and had just asked me to be her maid of honor. Of course, I said yes with all…

July is my favorite time of year to be active, travel, and chase adventures. Like many people with SMA, cold weather is hard on my body — my muscles get tense, my fingers and toes…

Over the course of three days, I recently had the joy of attending three live music concerts, each with its own distinct setting, energy, and story. I knew the performers, I loved the music, and I was…

My caregiver held the toothpaste tube in both hands, meticulously squishing it flat from the bottom all the way up to the nozzle. I laughed: “It’s OK, I have a whole new tube ready to go in the closet.”…

When people think about exercise, they often picture movement that is visible, measurable, and easy to quantify, such as miles walked or weight lifted. But for people with SMA, staying fit can look…

School is out in my area, and summer has officially started! Living with SMA means that my independence is made possible through a network of practical, daily support from friends in my community, and caregiving is…

Like most humans in the world, I do not like to cry in front of other people. My life with SMA does not allow me a lot of grace to conceal my physical weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It…

My aunt, who doesn’t throw anything away, recently sent me an artifact from my childhood: a pink paper pamphlet titled “Meet Connie.” I was diagnosed with SMA type 2 when I was…

Caregivers are an essential aspect of my life with SMA, because I need assistance to do most of my activities of daily living. But I am learning more and more that caregiving…

I’m not one to turn down a compliment, but as a woman living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), I do not consider physical balance to be among my strongest skills. So,…