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1 week ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Helen Baldwin |Steve Bryson |Halsey Blocher |Kevin Schaefer
Years ago, I taught kindergarten at a self-contained school for students with orthopedic and other disabilities. My charges were animated, and my assistant was delightful. At the end of my fifth year, my students were all mainstreamed to regular elementary schools, leaving me classless until days before the following year commenced. Mary, our school nurse, quietly described my new students, all of whom required skilled nursing in some capacity.
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3 weeks ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Kevin Schaefer
The best sitcoms capture the chaos and unpredictability of everyday life. In the new Apple TV+ series “The Studio,” co-creator and star Seth Rogen plays Matt Remick, a disgruntled movie executive who lands his dream job when he becomes the head of the fictional Continental Studios.
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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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4 weeks ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Sherry Toh |Marisa Wexler |Kevin Schaefer |Steve Bryson
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 I hadn’t had any income for six months at the time of purchase. Oh, and let’s not forget that I was in the hospital for vomiting and severe, chronic spinal pain.
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1 month ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Sherry Toh |Kevin Schaefer |Ari Anderson
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 transferred from a pediatric to a general hospital after I turned 18, my home-care nurse, who is assigned to me for things like home checkups, has been an emergency contact.
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1 month ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Andrea Lobo |Margarida Maia |Steve Bryson |Kevin Schaefer
Poor sleep is associated with more severe depressive symptoms and respiratory issues in adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a survey study of 50 patients in Italy reports. Adequate sleep was more likely to be lacking and symptoms of depression were more severe in people with SMA type 2 than in those with SMA type 3.
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1 month ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Kevin Schaefer |Margarida Maia |Alyssa Silva
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, and anyone with a passing familiarity with “The Wizard of Oz” mythos. A while back, I wrote about my history with the stage musical, noting what I love about it as well as some of the show’s problematic depictions of disability.
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1 month ago | 
smanewstoday.com | Lindsey Shapiro |Patricia Inacio |Kevin Schaefer |Mary Chapman
Last updated March 3, 2025, by Agata Boxe Fact-checked by Patrícia Silva, PhDSymptoms of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), such as breathing problems and muscle weakness, can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. SMA is a rare neuromuscular disease that is usually caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene. There are several different types of SMA.
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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.
