Posts by: Sherry Toh

COVID-19 Columns, SMA News Today Columns

First in a two-part series. I have never seen sci-fi media portray disabilities as casually as in the original trilogy of Mass Effect, a sci-fi video game series by game ... Read more

June 9, 2021June 9, 2021

I Don’t Want a World Without SMA. Here’s Why

SMA News Today Columns

When I was diagnosed with SMA, my parents were confronted with a pivotal choice: stay in Singapore or move the three of us to the U.S., where they’d heard there ... Read more

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021

SMA Is Contributing to My Gender Crisis

SMA News Today Columns

I am giddy with excitement. Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” plays on my iPhone as I begin writing a column about that album and its effect on my life. I know exactly ... Read more

April 28, 2021April 28, 2021

My Coming-of-Age Has Come and Gone: Revisiting Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’

SMA News Today Columns

On April 9, I traveled back in time. I mean this metaphorically, of course. As much as I wish time travel were feasible in our world, it unfortunately remains the ... Read more

April 21, 2021April 21, 2021

The Siren Song of a Magic Cure

SMA News Today Columns

A woman lies in a hospital bed, her breathing erratic and her forehead damp with sweat. She’s shaking from the pain she’s in. In a matter of days, the loss ... Read more

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021

Why I Never Had a Spinal Fusion: A Retrospective, 10 Years Later

SMA News Today Columns

The first and last time I consulted an orthopedic surgeon, I was told I had a 50-50 chance of surviving a spinal fusion. “Her lung capacity is 24% at its ... Read more

March 31, 2021March 31, 2021

Disabled Gremlins Unite: The Story of an SMA Friendship

SMA News Today Columns

Ever the dry self-deprecator, I send my Chinese New Year column to my dear friend Brianna with a message stating, “I sound like a gremlin here. Which is fine with ... Read more

March 17, 2021March 17, 2021

What the Ancient Greeks and Architecture May Tell Us About Accessibility

SMA News Today Columns

The August 2020 issue of the archaeological journal Antiquity contained a fascinating look at ancient Greek architecture titled, “The architecture of access: ramps at ancient Greek healing sanctuaries.” It was ... Read more

March 3, 2021March 3, 2021

Mama, It’s Amazing What SMA Patients Can Do: A Reminder of Our Adaptability

SMA News Today Columns

My neurologist presses his stethoscope to my chest. He’s performing a routine checkup; it’s a mere formality, really, so I can be sent home with my prescription for gabapentin refilled. ... Read more

February 17, 2021February 17, 2021

Learning to Cherish My Fortunes in the Year of the Ox

COVID-19 Columns, SMA News Today Columns

It is my yearly Chinese New Year tradition to complain about Chinese New Year. As with all honored traditions, this one goes back to my earliest memories of the holiday: ... Read more

February 3, 2021February 3, 2021

How CDPR’s ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Relates to Disability

SMA News Today Columns

The video game “Cyberpunk 2077” has become one of my go-to coping mechanisms. I know that’s an odd statement to hear from someone writing on a platform dedicated to disability ... Read more

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021

Welcome to ‘Wandering the Lines,’ Our Journey Into the Unknown

SMA News Today Columns

“I wish I were normal,” I used to say to my mum. I told her this at other kids’ birthday parties, when they played musical chairs or went on scavenger ... Read more