Pursuing justice for others

My name is Shaniqua. I am attorney living in Silver Spring, Maryland, and I have spinal muscular atrophy Type 3, also known as SMA. 

When I think about Evrysdi, I think about hope. You know, hope to maintain strength, hope for the SMA community. 

I was diagnosed with SMA around the age of two and a half. I always knew that I would lose motor function but I didn't know what it would look like. In middle school I still could walk longer distances. I noticed over the years that I was slowly losing some of my motor functions. So I use my wheelchair normally when I'm working, I'm at my desk, but sometimes I do get up and I walk around. I walk to the sink to start cooking, so I really like to cook. And so I can walk to my bedroom to get in the bed and walk to the restroom. 

Taking Evrysdi treatment is important to me because it's me considering my health and how important my health is and me doing something about it, me taking the action, and that hopefully I'll be able to maintain my strength. I spoke to my doctor about Evrysdi. Ultimately, the decision was mine whether to take the treatment or not, and I just ultimately decided that it was the best thing for me and that I was very hopeful that it would help. 

My goal is to continue and maintain some of the things that I'm able to do on my own. I have always loved to cook. I love to make meals for myself and sometimes I like to make meals for my family. It's just a joy seeing their faces after I've cooked something, so I really like being able to do that on my own. I have always been able to brush my teeth, wash my face, do my hair. 

The physical therapist normally tests my motor skills twice a year. Since starting Evrysdi, I have seen improvements in my motor functions. I've noticed that I can pick up small objects and open containers, and also I've seen that it's easier for me to get up out of my chair to a standing position. I'm happy with my experience on Evrysdi. It works for my life because it's an oral medication and I can just take it at home and I don't have to go out or to a doctor or to a hospital to take the drugs. I'm not confined to taking my medication at one place. 

When I think about Evrysdi, I think about being able to have hope, and every time I take the medication, I'm hoping that the strengths that I do have will be maintained. 

This is Evrysdi in action.