Community Perspectives

Now that I’ve been living in my new house for a month, I better understand what I love about it. In my last house, where we’d lived since I was 13, I had my own…

Last in a series. Read parts one and two.  I bought shoes I wasn’t sure I’d wear. That seems like a trivial statement, I know. Except the shoes cost 119 SGD ($89) including shipping, and…

My husband, Randy, and I had our first baby while I was teaching students with a variety of difficult diagnoses. Our son, Matthew, was followed three summers later by our daughter, Katie. During both pregnancies, I never worried that they…

Every now and then, memories from my childhood hit me in the most unexpected ways, which is surprising because I don’t remember much from years past. Alas, my parents were cleaning out our basement recently when they…

Memories are like windows that look inward. Living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) certainly adds a special framework to that window, allowing light to pour in on all the unique experiences I wouldn’t…

Second in a series. Read part one. My mum likes to say that my home-care nurse is like a second mother to me, and I’d have to agree. Ever since my SMA care was…

Even with SMA, my checkups have, for the most part, become pretty routine. Every six months, I drive 30 minutes to my nearest specialty clinic. While there, I see various doctors, each with their own unique…

A few weeks ago, I glanced out my window and instinctively squinted. Before me was my backyard covered in a blanket of ice and thick snow, blinding me with the sun’s reflection. The rocky hills were now shiny…

The revelation that my husband, Randy, and I were becoming newborn parents again called for a comprehensive to-do list. Our other children, Matthew and Katie, were in elementary school. With no intention of needing baby items…

When the movie version of “Wicked” hit theaters last fall and skyrocketed to critical and commercial success, musical theater enthusiasts everywhere felt validation. The blockbuster adaptation of the hit musical struck a chord with devoted fans, casual viewers,…