Two years ago, I remember looking through the photos from the MDA Public Policy and Advocacy conference, excited to see so many in the neuromuscular disease community on Capitol Hill advocating for issues important to our community. I felt a sense of pride at what they were doing, but also, selfishly, a little bit of . . .
Feb. 28 is Rare Disease Day, when the collective rare disease community raises awareness of the conditions with which we live and advocates for access to new novel treatments like Spinraza, the first FDA-approved disease-modifying drug for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare neuromuscular disease that affects people like 18-year-old Marley Robinson. Spinraza is making . . .
Every year on Sept. 30, people around the world wear lime green and come together online and in their communities to celebrate Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) Awareness Day. Now four years old, LGMD Awareness Day has been embraced by the LGMD patient community as a way to raise awareness and honor individuals living with the . . .
Since 1897, the Boston Marathon has held a special place in the hearts of Bostonians. Held every third Monday in April, the Boston Marathon is one of the most famous races in the world, attracting runners of all abilities to a beautiful, grueling course that begins in the hilly western suburbs of Boston and ends . . .
Originally published in the Hartford Courant on July 22, 2018. To see the original article, click here. For many years I was consumed by worry and bitterness, thinking I was the only one who was given an unfair lot in life. My body, once athletic and fit, was weakening from the uncompromising progression of an adult-onset neuromuscular disease . . .
On March 29, fire fighters from departments throughout the northeast gathered at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut for MDA’s annual Fill the Boot Camp event. The goal of the one-day gathering is to provide fire fighters with the training and information needed to have a successful Fill the Boot season and to celebrate the accomplishments . . .
Growing up, Marc van de Rijn was always interested in medicine. After briefly considering a career working with computers, a sudden health challenge after his freshman year of college made him realize that instead of sitting behind a desk, he wanted to work with people and become a doctor. “After my freshman year, I suffered . . .
