Trusted Resources: Community Center

SMA My Way is a support platform for the SMA community including SMA patients, caregivers, family and friends. Read stories, share experiences and connect with members. 

At SpinalMuscularAtrophy.net we empower people diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and caregivers to take control by providing a platform to learn, educate, and connect with peers and healthcare professionals.

Never Give Up is a nonprofit and apparel for kind humans organization. It donates 100% of profit to SMA patients and families as a support. 

SMA Foundation is the leading funder of SMA research worldwide - over $100M has been spent on basic, translational, and clinical research. We have invested more than $30M on developing critical, validated research tools and other drug discovery assets. Our mandate is to ensure that all of the results of our research funding are made readily available to every SMA researcher with minimal cost and obligation.The SMA Foundation was established in 2003 by Loren Eng and Dinakar Singh, parents of a child with SMA.

The Gwendolyn Strong Foundation (GSF) was born out of Bill and Victoria Strong’s firsthand experience with their precious daughter, Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn was born perfectly healthy in October 2007, but was diagnosed with the terminal disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I at 6-months-old.As witnesses to the degenerative cruelty of SMA, Bill and Victoria are personally and passionately dedicated to leaving no stone unturned in raising awareness about and funding research for SMA and supporting families who are impacted by SMA and other life-altering diseases.

SMA Foundation stands with the mission to accelerate the development of Spinal Muscular Atrophy treatment.  

SpinalMuscularAtrophy.net is a community for people affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy. It helps them to learn, share, and connect with peers and healthcare professionals.  

Never Give Up is a nonprofit and apparel for kind humans organization. It donates 100% of profit to SMA patients and families as a support.

Mark Aldrich is a sharp, thoughtful 52-year-old writer living in New Paltz, New York, an artsy college town with hippy aspirations, two hours from NYC. In his mid-30s, he began experiencing slight balance issues, stumbling here and there. Mark pushed it out of his mind, but by his late 30s, he noticed his gait was different and he was moving more slowly. Mark was first misdiagnosed with a fast-moving degenerative disease - only to be told a year later that he actually had spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type IV. He shares his story hoping that it might help someone else struggling with similar symptoms find help more quickly than he did.

For so many years, patients and their families had little hope after receiving a diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). However, the amazing advances in medical research and technology and the hard work of scientists and medical experts have changed that, and the SMA community is forever grateful. Since 2016 alone, 3 treatments for SMA have been approved by the FDA, changing the lives of so many with SMA for the better. This blog post explores the different treatments currently available for SMA and what still needs to be done in the community. While we are heading, or leaping, tremendously in the right direction, it’s important to note that treatments are not the end-all for a disease as debilitating and persistent as SMA.  

"Dealing With Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Guide To Connecting With Disability Living: Dealing With The Social Life" takes the reader on a unique journey through the disease's many complexities. Personal accounts offer insights into the adverse socioeconomic outcomes that a patient has to face such as less education, poorer health outcomes, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates. This book introduces to the reader an in-depth look into the world of disability offering advice on a wide variety of topics including dealing with the medical system, educational system, and social life of a disabled person. Follow the heartfelt and honest journey through the author's diagnosis all the way through to his modern-day life, and the lessons he has learned along the way when growing up with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

"Dying To Live" is the autobiography of Ramon Hansford a truly remarkable 22 year old lad with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 2, part of the muscular dystrophy family of diseases. Despite his severe limitations he can still operate a phone using text and email. His brain is one hundred percent fully functional, he communicates extremely well and has a wicked sense of humour as well as being extremely caring and patient. The book highlights how Ray has coped with his disability, and how he has lived life to the full whilst facing his own mortality. Sadly the average life expectancy for someone with Ray's condition is late teens which proves what tremendous courage and spirit Ray possesses. He hopes his book will inspire others as well as giving professionals an insight into caring for others like him and how it feels to be on the receiving end of the care system. 

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a hereditary condition characterised by muscle wastage (atrophy) and weakness (skeletal muscles). It is caused by the loss of motor neurons, which are specialised nerve cells that control muscular movement. Progressive Spinal Muscular Atrophy (First Edition) provides a wonderful insight on the overview, symptoms, causes, and latest advancements in research regarding the disease. The book covers in depth the latest research information as well as newly discovered potential causes of Progressive Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

This book helps one discover a new understanding of neurodegenerative disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy. It covers various aspects of the disease such as history, cause, genetics (risk-factors), symptoms, potential ways to prevent Spinal Muscular Atrophy and treatment options available. The idiosyncrasy of the material is the inclusion of prestigious researchers opinions on prions and their potential role in the cause of individual neurodegenerative disease.  Prions are self-infectious proteins proven to be the agent responsible for causing prion diseases.  Prions diseases are a very rare group of neurodegenerative diseases found in both humans and animals.  Prions weren't discovered until recently. Since the discovery, controversy has came about in regards to the infectious agent being responsible for the cause of all neurodegenerative diseases.  

On February 19th, 2022, the Flying Pigs Foundation will host their 5th annual “Night at the Races” event. Their last event, in 2020, had over 300 people in attendance and raised over $42,000 for the St. Louis Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). In 2022, they are hoping for continued support from the local community. This unique event is an adults only "horse race" to raise money and is a great way to enjoy an evening out while generously supporting potential life changing opportunities for people that have muscle diseases. This event has ended. 

The Pediatric SMA Clinical Research Center, which operates conjointly with the Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic at Columbia University, is organized according to a team model. The clinic offers special expertise in SMA and other neuromuscular disorders, and provides access to highly skilled neurologists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, physiatrists, orthopedists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, and therapists who work collaboratively to deliver the utmost compassionate, high quality care to each of the patients we serve. Every dollar raised will go directly towards clinical care and research advances for patients with SMA. The SMA Clinic will also be starting a loan closet of equipment. The equipment will be distributed to families in the area. They are urging individuals who have any equipment that they do not need to donate it to the clinic.

The Andrew "Sparky" Seever Scholarship honors the vibrant spirit of our former board member, who lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Applicants must be diagnosed with muscular dystrophy or another neuromuscular disease, reside in the state of Indiana, and be high school graduates (or on track to graduate). Applicants enrolled in a two- or four-year post-high-school institution, tech or trade school, or accredited certificate program will be considered. Decisions will be further based on: financial need, academic achievement, leadership, community involvement and other activities; and personal character. 

Jack Scura Fund is designed to recognize students with a special need who are of good standing in school and in their communities. The scholarship program is named in memory of John (“Jack”) Joseph Scura II, Esq. He was the founding partner of the firm and a true renaissance man. He treasured education putting himself through college and law school while juggling four kids alongside his wife of 52 years Kathleen Scura. He quietly and selflessly made the lives around him better. Jack passed away on September 24, 2018. This scholarship is to carry on Jack’s dedication to education and helping others. The Jack Scura Fund therefore offers a $7,500 scholarship to disabled high school seniors who will be enrolling in an undergraduate program in the fall or are currently enrolled. Applicants must be an incoming or current student of an undergraduate program of a New Jersey college or university and have any kind of disability. Student must have a 3.2 and above GPA (based on a 4.0 scale). Special attention will be given to applicants who have tremendous resumes or Curriculum Vitae. Must have proof of disability documentation. 

PATH-WAY is a not-for-profit organization created, designed, organized and committed to elevating the lives of individuals with varying degrees of abilities. Scholarship recipients must have a physical disability, which may include but not limited to, neuromuscular disorders or musculoskeletal impairments such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, SMA, dystonia, osteogenesis imperfecta, spinal cord injury, or amputee and must be a resident of MA, NH, ME, or RI. Applicants must be a high school graduate/graduating senior.

The Ryan Hawn Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship awards each spring to a graduating high school senior who has a muscle disease diagnosis.  Ryan was the son of Christopher and Jennifer Hawn, co-founders of the The Flying Pigs Foundation. Ryan was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I when he was 3 months old. He passed away on July 28th, 2009 at the age of 6 months and 1 day.  His life was brief, but what he has left behind is a legacy of love and the desire in his parent’s hearts to help other individuals with muscle diseases.