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4 weeks ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Jasmine Ramos |Halsey Blocher |Ari Anderson |Kevin Schaefer
When I close my eyes, I see the world as it should be — a place where accommodation isn’t something to fight for; where people with disabilities don’t have to plan every step, hoping the next doorway isn’t too narrow, the next curb isn’t too high, and the next space isn’t too crowded. In my dream world, barriers don’t exist. But that’s not the world I live in.
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4 weeks ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Ari Anderson |Marisa Wexler |Jasmine Ramos |Kevin Schaefer
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 home within the home, which included my bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and medical supply room. These rooms were designed to meet all my SMA needs while my mom had her own rooms on the other side of the house. Having my own “bachelor pad” in that house was pretty cool.
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1 month ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Jasmine Ramos |Kevin Schaefer |Halsey Blocher |Alyssa Silva
A few weeks ago, my mother injured her foot, temporarily limiting her mobility. As she struggled to get around, relying on others for assistance, she looked at me and said, “I never realized how hard this is.” That moment stuck with me — not because I was surprised, but because she got a small glimpse into my world for the first time. Living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), I’ve faced mobility challenges my entire life. While my mother’s injury will heal, my condition is permanent.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
smanewstoday.com | Jasmine Ramos |Steve Bryson |Helen Baldwin |Alyssa Silva
Empathy is often described as the ability to imagine yourself in another’s shoes, see the world through their eyes, and feel the weight of their experiences as if they were yours. But empathy is more than just a fleeting sense of understanding. It’s the heartbeat of human connections. It bridges divides, fosters trust, and builds relationships that transcend surface-level interactions.
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Jan 15, 2025 | 
smanewstoday.com | Helen Baldwin |Steve Bryson |Jasmine Ramos
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t always know what I’ll cover in this column when the time comes. It sure eases the anxiety level when I have a clue, though. Our SMA assignment with our third baby, Jeffrey, led me to appreciate “angel intervention” in all facets of life, including the column. A tiny blue feather sparked one column, while a new addition to our columnists’ group influenced another.
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Dec 18, 2024 | 
smanewstoday.com | Marisa Wexler |Steve Bryson |Jasmine Ramos
An algorithm that takes into account clinical measures of motor symptom severity alongside data on factors like age and height may help predict the risk of scoliosis in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who have received disease-modifying treatment.
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Nov 21, 2024 | 
smanewstoday.com | Jasmine Ramos |Halsey Blocher |Ari Anderson |Sherry Toh
Writing is a kind of magic — a spell woven with intention and purpose. It’s more than just a passion; it’s my superpower. I can bridge the gap between myself and the world through words, expressing empathy, kindling hope, and leaving an indelible mark on hearts I may never meet. Living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) means that physically stepping out into the world isn’t always possible.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
smanewstoday.com | Lindsey Shapiro |Hawken Miller |Sherry Toh |Jasmine Ramos
Low bone mineral density (BMD), which leaves bones weak and prone to fractures, was found to be prevalent among children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in China in a recent report. Older age, especially beyond a cut-off of 6.3 years, was associated with a higher likelihood of having low BMD among the children. Researchers indicated their findings, in children who did not receive any disease-modifying treatments, may be “applicable for guiding bone care in patients with SMA….
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Oct 16, 2024 | 
smanewstoday.com | Helen Baldwin |Kevin Schaefer |Jasmine Ramos |Andrea Lobo
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 state, about 125 miles northeast of Asheville. Thankfully, the damage we incurred from the catastrophic storm and flooding can be fixed in due time. Our lives, our old house, and access to it remain intact.
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Oct 10, 2024 | 
smanewstoday.com | Jasmine Ramos |Alyssa Silva |Lindsey Shapiro |Ari Anderson
As depression and anxiety started to affect my outlook on life, I noticed how these challenges clouded even the simplest moments. Depression’s weight often made it hard to see beyond a day’s struggles, while anxiety wrapped every action and interaction in a shroud of what-ifs and what-nows. Seemingly a paradox, loneliness persists in what’s supposedly a more connected world than ever.
