Spinal Muscular Atrophy, or SMA, is a rare genetic disorder which affects one in every 6,000 to 10,000 people and is incurable. There are four different types of SMA. None of these types have a cure and not a lot of money is donated to research one.

While type 2 SMA impacts very few people in this world, it has profoundly affected my best friend, Matthew Reilly, who was born with it. Matthew Reilly and I first met in 2nd grade, when he was giving people wheelchair rides and I managed to flip his wheelchair over. Despite the rough beginning, this marked the start of our lifelong friendship. Matthew is one of the happiest people I know and never lets SMA bring him down. His attitude inspires me to better myself every day. Matthew’s hobbies include watching the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Sabres, hanging with friends, and beating me in Madden. It is my sincere hope that we can find a cure, and I can continue to lose to Matthew for many years to come.

About SMART

SMART is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Team, a charity started in 2009. Their goal is to fund creative scientists, doing work related to SMA, who have a mindset to explore ideas outside the mainstream. They have teamed with Charlotte Sumner, a Johns Hopkins neurologist who has made SMA the cornerstone of her laboratory research. “SMART has foundational supporters from the Buffalo Firefighters Local 282 and Buffalo Sabres organization, has funded Sumner’s investigation with yearly grants between $100,000 and $150,000.” (A smart approach to SMA Research). The goal of SMART is to first make this disease a chronic condition that can be managed, rather than a life threatening disease, and then someday find a cure.

Why Consider Donating

SMART is a non-profit and is a charity started by the parents of Matthew, Gretchen and Tim Reilly. With your help they will do everything in their power to put donations to good use. It is their sincere hope that they can keep making progress and help kids like Matthew live a better, longer and healthier life.

03/02/2016. “A Smart Approach to SMA Research.” A SMART Approach to SMA Research, 2 Mar. 2016, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/a-smart-approach-to-sma-research.