Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

Elisabeth received a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn. She began creating artwork as a toddler as soon as she realized paint was not something to eat! Her artwork has won awards in juried shows, and she was the winner of the 2008 Neurology Now magazine art contest. Along with creating artwork, Elisabeth enjoys reading, good tea, and she’s a comic and Renaissance Fest Fan.

Jackie created artwork using computer graphics for several years. He graduated from Kimball High School in Royal Oak, Mich., and had his own Web site design business.

David began painting as a teenager. He was self-employed as an entertainment booking agent for local fairs and festivals. David also was active with MDA fundraisers and the local broadcast of the Jerry Lewis Telethon for many years. He was the recipient of MDA’s 1992 Personal Achievement Award for Michigan.

Tammie created this artwork at age 11 at an MDA-sponsored children’s art workshop held May 15, 1993, at the Detroit Institute of Art. Her service dog, Ty, accompanies her to classes at Schoolcraft College where she’s studying psychology.

Amanda created this artwork at age 13 while attending an MDA summer camp. Her hobbies include swimming and music.

Mathew’s artwork depicts a sunset at Camp Marie in Leonardtown, Md., home of the local MDA summer camp. Mathew’s hobbies included music and writing poetry. He collaborated over the Internet with a writer from Wisconsin and together they published a work of poetry called ”The Move.”

Alyssa has enjoyed drawing and painting for most of her life. She is a longtime MDA camper and loves attending Rainbow Camp every summer. Alyssa has received awards in school art shows and had one piece exhibited in a local gallery. In addition to creating artwork, Alyssa enjoys listening to music. She plans to attend the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.

Erin loved to attend MDA summer camp and especially enjoyed swimming. This work of art was created in an MDA-sponsored children’s art workshop held May 25, 1992, in Lafayette, La.

Craig created this artwork at age 17 and won several awards for his works. In 2004, he received a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University, where he began painting on canvas. Craig is active in theater groups, singing and a car club.

Ken experienced the STS-63 Discovery space shuttle night launch on February 3, 1995. This artwork began as a photograph that was digitally enhanced to express the stages of space flights as they move heavenward. Ken received the 1994 Personal Achievement Award for Illinois and is a former member of MDA’s National Task Force on Public Awareness.