Growing up, I loved the idea of having a large family. Because of relationships that existed between my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., I knew I wanted a large family. Never in a million years did I think the road to starting a family would come with unexpected twists and turns and take such a long time. It took 9 years of trying to finally conceive. It then took another 6 years to get to the end of my fertility journey. That is 5 years total.

Spinal cord injuries are one of the most severe injuries a child can experience. A spinal cord injury can have long-term consequences, including disability and major disruptions to a child’s way of life. The body’s spinal cord is critical to overall health and functionality, and injuries to the spinal cord can impact the child’s entire body.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic, progressive disease that attacks and destroys lower motor neurons or nerve cells that travel from the brain to the muscles. Lower motor neurons are the neurons that control breathing, crawling, walking, and swallowing, as well as head and neck strength. Once SMA attacks the lower motor neurons, the ability to control muscle movement is lost.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder that impacts thousands of families across the world. Also known as brittle bone disease, OI is characterized by bones that do not form normally or easily fracture, even with impact as minor as a sneeze.

Cerebral palsy is a group of motor disorders that impact a person’s body movement, muscle tone, and coordination. Thousands of children are affected by cerebral palsy in the United States alone. According to the CDC, cerebral palsy is found in approximately 1 in 345 children, and is one of the most common childhood disorders in the United States.

Cerebral palsy is the most common motor disorder among children in the United States. While a cerebral palsy diagnosis comes with many life adjustments, proper treatment can improve a child’s quality of life.