Author Archives: Helen Baldwin

Finding SMA in Unexpected Places

Not long after our third baby, Jeffrey, was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), my mother received a note from her cousin, who mentioned her two granddaughters’ “muscle disease.” Having believed for years that the girls had spina bifida, we learned quickly, though not totally…

Awareness, Evrysdi, and an Earthquake … Oh My!

There’s no need to dwell on the insanity that has defined 2020, so I’m skipping right on over to this month. I think it’s August. August is SMA Awareness Month, an opportunity to flood the universe with all things SMA for 31 days.

The Papa Tomato

Our family has some generous gardening friends. One such friend keeps us spoiled with her garden goodies regularly. She has delivered to our porch zucchini, beans, lettuce, garlic, and fresh eggs. Oh, and tomatoes. *** Our baby Jeffrey’s routine…

Why I Appreciate Diagnosis Day Anniversaries

It’s probably safe to say that these past four months have been a blur for many. It seems that mere blinks ago it was mid-March, the last days of normalcy in untold routines, and the beginning of upheavals that have defied description. Somehow, it’s…