Columns

When I was a little girl, I had many life-threatening hospitalizations, the first at 16 months of age. Ten months after I was diagnosed with SMA, I experienced my first bout with respiratory syncytial virus and was intubated for weeks. Though I was too young to…

The side effects that some patients experience on Evrysdi (risdiplam), an approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), may be due to how the therapy alters the activity of thousands of genes when given at high doses, according to a new study in cell models. Findings also…

Speaking seems like a simple act: You open your mouth and say words. The end. But in actuality, it involves a number of mechanics: oxygen flowing through your lungs, up your trachea, and through your larynx, creating sounds that are then shaped by the voluntary muscles of your…

The amount of neurofilament proteins found in the cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, may help doctors better distinguish between adult-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study found. The two conditions are marked by damage to motor neurons,…

When I was in middle school, I became acquainted with Ponyboy, Sodapop, Johnny Cade, and the other “Greaser” boys from the pages of “The Outsiders.” Since its publication in 1967, S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel has continued to resonate with generations of teenagers and young adults from all…

My dad and I have a long-standing tradition of rewatching old TV series. We’ve binged everything, including “Merlin,” “Stargate SG-1,” and “Star Wars Rebels,” over the years. Right now, we’re savoring every single episode of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” for the third time. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” premiered in…

Treatment with Evrysdi (risdiplam) in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients who previously received other therapies was found to safely stabilize motor function and lead to slight improvements in arm function, new clinical trial data show. These results occurred “irrespective of previous treatment,” the researchers wrote, adding that…

My feeding tube became a part of my life amid a series of illnesses that required hospitalization when I was 13. I’d lost a dangerous amount of weight as my body burned through every available resource in an attempt to fight off infections. I was…

Whenever I think about how I started driving my wheelchair at 3 years old, I always wonder, “Whose great idea was that?” I accidentally crashed into furniture. I made plenty of dents in the walls learning how to navigate my new set of wheels. I even accidentally knocked down…

In the North Carolina mountains, spring signifies random weather: gorgeous blue skies, rain, wind, thunder, snow, and freeze warnings — sometimes all on the same day. Buds and blossoms are exploding, and the bees are happy. We noticed the annual duck visitation in the pond and…