In 2009, my second son was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). A year later, his younger brother was also diagnosed. For a quick background on this neuromuscular disease I recommend starting with my post Seven Things You Should Know About SMA. I share the story of arriving at a diagnosis and the spiritual and emotional upheaval it caused in my book Better Than OK; Find Joy As A Special Needs Parent.

In 2019 I created a ministry for fellow Catholic special needs parents called Accepting the Gift. I encourage you to check it out for resources to help you thrive as a special needs parent in home, parish, and community.

These are some of my top posts about SMA and special needs parenting:

• Why You Shouldn’t Say “Special Needs”…
• Why You Should Start a Special Needs Blog
• Tiny Tim and the Blind Boy: Why the Types of Stories We Tell About Disabled People Matter
• A Six Year Journey
• My Moral Dilemna as a Catholic SMA Mom
• Seven People Sticking it to SMA
• The Hard Work of Choosing Joy
• I Am Not Exceptional, And So Can You
• Five Ways Being a Special Needs Mom Has Made Me A Better Person – guest post at Svellerella
• I’m a Special Needs Mom and This is How I Pray
• The Sadness We Bring to a Diagnosis Should Not Become Our Child’s
• How Can We Keep Our Faith When Bad Things Happen to Our Children?
• What to Do When Your Child Won’t Stop Staring at a Person In a Wheelchair

You can find my book at:

• Here on my website
• Amazon

For more more information on SMA, I recommend these websites:

• Cure SMA
• Fight SMA
• Muscular Dystrophy Association
• Gwendolyn Strong Foundation

If you are the parent of a child with SMA, or other serious medical condition, feel free to email me with any questions or just to vent. I understand! I’ve been there! It would be my pleasure to correspond with you.