Get regular updates to your inbox.
It’s 2014. I’m months-deep into a major depressive episode. Nothing is enjoyable, not even my all-time favorite video game. I feel listless in the worst of ways. Several of my friends are playing “Dragon Age: Inquisition”…
“No, I’m totally fine” are often my famous last words when I’m actually not fine at all. Sometimes when an illness arises, I’ll downplay my symptoms. I’ll chalk them up to having a…
I bravely soar to meet the challenges of SMA with determination and a can-do attitude. But despite my positivity, certain things get me down sometimes. I feel discouraged whenever I think about how…
“Are we wearing a cloak of disability?” my mom asked as a vehicle pulled out in front of our wheelchair van. At least, that’s what I thought she said. It turns out that she actually said “cloak of…
Incredibly, October is almost history. A month ago, our mountain county and others west of us here in North Carolina were left reeling from the surreal aftermath of Hurricane Helene, considered a once-in-a-thousand-year storm. Out of the proverbial ashes…
Volunteering has given me more joy and meaning than I ever imagined possible. Living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) means I can’t move my own body, but that hasn’t stopped me from finding ways to move others.
“Alyssa, this is the best you’ve ever looked to me,” my gastroenterologist recently exclaimed during a routine appointment. Though I hadn’t felt my best internally, I took her word for it. After all, she’d been my doctor for more than a…
A great relief comes when you’ve been working hard to get through an obstacle and finally see progress. Perseverance is rewarding. In my case, SMA has given me many complicated challenges. As my mom, my…
It’s closing in on three weeks since Hurricane Helene bullied her way into North Carolina. My husband, Randy, and I live in Ashe County, in the northwestern corner of the…
The album “A Whole New Sound” is a treasure trove of nostalgia for millennials. Released last month, it features early 2000s punk rock bands performing covers of iconic Disney songs. Listening to…
Get regular updates to your inbox.