Author Archives: Halsey Blocher

The passage of time is a strange thing. A quarter of a century seems like such a long time to have been alive, yet at the same time, it’s like the blink of an eye. Somehow, as of Sept. 26 (the day I’m writing this), that’s exactly how long…

As a young teenager, I went with my mom to a workshop at a Cure SMA conference about living with SMA as a woman. A room full of young ladies and their mothers spent the afternoon asking questions of the panelists and seeking to gain wisdom…

When I say “inaccessibility,” what’s the first thing you think of? You might envision something like a set of stairs, a broken elevator, or a car that’s been carelessly parked in front of a ramp. These do create accessibility barriers for people with mobility challenges such as…

If you’re a regular reader of my column, you might have noticed that it usually ends with a positive spin. Once, I even wrote about being thankful for things that don’t seem very good. I won’t deny that life with SMA has negative aspects, but whenever…

If you’re a regular reader of my column, you might have noticed that it usually ends with a positive spin. Once, I even wrote about being thankful for things that don’t seem very good. I won’t deny that life with SMA has negative aspects, but whenever…

With that headline, I’d expect this column to belong to my friend and SMA News Today colleague Kevin Schaefer. After all, he’s not shy about sharing less than pleasant aspects of living with SMA, including detailed stories about his trips to the bathroom. But…

It’s not uncommon to plan for the future. Most of us have at least an idea of what we’d like our lives to look like five, 10, or 20 years from now. Some people even lay out detailed plans for how they intend to accomplish their goals regarding careers,…

On a hot summer day, you will usually find yourself needing a cool drink to quench your thirst sooner or later. You might choose a cold glass of water, lemonade, soda, or iced tea. My go-to is always some type of fruit smoothie, though sometimes I’ll opt for a milkshake,…

Back in November, the latest e-newsletter from We Carry Kevan (WCK) landed in my inbox, and this one included an intriguing request. They were looking for volunteers to serve as ambassadors who would promote the organization’s mission of redefining accessibility in their communities. One area where ambassadors…

I’m fairly frequently asked what the hardest part of living with SMA is, but no matter how many times I hear the question, I seldom know how to answer it. Each day brings its own unique hardships, so how I respond changes based on the struggles of that…