• Home
  • About Me
    • About SMA
  • Finding My Feet
  • Blog
  • Events
    • Past Events
      • 2026 Golf Day
    • Upcoming Events
  • Testimonials
  • Gallery
  • Donate Here
    • Support
  • Contact

Kerry Walsh

  • Blog

    Sometimes, You Just Want Someone to Understand

    I was watching Survivor the other night — a show that’s usually all about strength, strategy, and survival — when something completely different caught my attention. One of the players opened…

    November 10, 2025
  • Blog

    Holding On While Letting Go

    Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is an ongoing lesson in surrender — a constant balancing act between strength and fragility, control and acceptance. As my body continues to change, I…

    November 3, 2025
  • Blog SMA Awareness

    Asking for Help: The Strength We Don’t Talk About Enough

    Asking for help is something most of us struggle with, whether we live with a disability, face mental health challenges, or are simply used to carrying the world on our shoulders.…

    October 27, 2025
  • Blog Updates

    Living with a Suprapubic Catheter: My Journey, Challenges & Freedom

    Living with a suprapubic catheter has completely changed my life. From dealing with spasms and infections to learning how to adapt at home, it’s been a journey of pain, growth, and…

    October 13, 2025
  • Blog SMA Awareness

    SMA Medication Costs South Africa: When Life Has a Price Tag

    Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic condition that weakens muscles over time. While there is no outright cure, there are treatments available that can slow progression and improve quality…

    October 6, 2025
  • Blog SMA Awareness

    Does It Make Me a Hypocrite That I Don’t Think I Could Raise a Child With SMA?

    This question has been weighing on me lately. Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) has shaped every part of my life — the good, the bad, the lessons, and the losses.…

    September 22, 2025
Older Posts
Newer Posts
♿ A RAMP DOES NOT EQUAL ACCESSIBILITY! 😡💔 What wa ♿ A RAMP DOES NOT EQUAL ACCESSIBILITY! 😡💔 What was meant to be a special birthday celebration for my twin sister and me, enjoying a coffee tasting @grazecafeofficial , turned into yet another experience of exclusion. And the worst part? I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT! I phoned ahead, checked accessibility and even spoke directly to management, who assured me the venue was wheelchair accessible. WE COULDN’T EVEN GET IN! A ramp with stairs BEFORE and AFTER it is NOT wheelchair accessibility! To make matters worse, nobody even offered to help. I have since reached out to the restaurant directly to express my disappointment and concerns, and I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE! As a wheelchair user, I shouldn’t have to constantly double-check whether I can enter a venue. But I do. And even then, I’m still excluded. It is 2026. How are we STILL getting something so basic so wrong? Accessibility isn’t a box to tick. It’s about dignity, independence and inclusion. We missed out on a birthday experience we were genuinely excited about, simply because we were given incorrect information. ACCESSIBILITY IS NOT A FAVOUR. IT IS A RIGHT! I still expect a response, accountability and meaningful change. Do better. We deserve better. ♿💔 #AccessibilityMatters #DisabilityInclusion #WheelchairAccessibility #DisabilityRights #DoBetter #kmotivationsa
💜 If you’re tired of hearing about my chronic illn 💜 If you’re tired of hearing about my chronic illness, imagine how tired I am of living with it. Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) means there is no off switch. No holiday from my disability. No day where I can simply decide I don’t want to deal with it. Some days I’m strong, positive and motivated. Other days I’m exhausted, frustrated and just trying to get through the day. I share my journey not because I want sympathy, but because I want understanding. I want people to recognise that behind every smile, every achievement and every positive post, there may be battles you know nothing about. 🌻 I love my life, but that doesn’t mean every part of it is easy. You can be grateful for your life and still be exhausted by what it asks of you. And if sharing my reality helps even one person feel less alone, then I’ll keep talking about it. 💚 #KmotivationSA #SMAAwareness #ChronicIllness #DisabilityAdvocacy #RealLifeWithSMA #FindingMyFeet
Chapter 29. 🌻 Birthdays always make me pause and Chapter 29. 🌻 Birthdays always make me pause and think about how much life can change in a year. This past year has brought difficult moments, unexpected changes, new lessons and plenty of reasons to keep going. I haven’t always felt strong or positive, but I am still here—still hopeful, still speaking up and still finding reasons to celebrate. As I enter the final year of my twenties, I’m reminding myself that life doesn’t have to look exactly as planned to be meaningful. There is still joy to find, love to receive, change to create and so much life left to live. Here’s to 29: choosing hope, celebrating the small victories and continuing to champion change. 💚 #Chapter29 #BirthdayReflection #KmotivationSA #Motivation #DisabilityAdvocacy #ChampioningChange
Happy 29th birthday to my beautiful twinning, Jade Happy 29th birthday to my beautiful twinning, Jadey! 💙🎂🥂 Sharing a birthday with you will always be one of my favourite things. From childhood memories to all the adventures still ahead, I’m so grateful we get to grow through life together. Thank you for the laughs, the love and for being wonderfully you. I hope this year brings you so much happiness, exciting adventures and every reason to celebrate! ✨ Here’s to 29 years of double trouble… and absolutely no plans to stop! 😜 Love you so much! 🦓💙
🌻 Disability awareness starts at home! Growing up 🌻 Disability awareness starts at home! Growing up with a disability, I was fortunate to have a family that never made me feel different or less worthy. But outside that safe space, the world wasn’t always as understanding. That’s why I believe it’s so important to teach children about disabilities from a young age. 💚 1. Different does not mean less. Everyone deserves the same respect, opportunities and sense of belonging. 💜 2. Kindness costs nothing. Teach children not to stare, laugh, exclude or make assumptions. Curiosity is natural, and respectful questions are welcome! 🩷 3. Lead by example. Children learn from the way we treat others. If we demonstrate kindness, acceptance and inclusion, they will too. Disability shouldn’t be something children are afraid to talk about. It should be something they learn to understand and respect. 🦋 Let’s raise a generation that sees ability, embraces differences and chooses inclusion. #KmotivationSA #DisabilityAwareness #DifferentNotLess #InclusionMatters #TeachKindness #ChampioningChange
💚 WORLD SPINE DAY | 16 OCTOBER 💚 Some scars tell 💚 WORLD SPINE DAY | 16 OCTOBER 💚 Some scars tell a story. Mine tells the story of how my life was saved. 🦋 In 2012, while in Grade 9, I underwent major back surgery due to severe scoliosis caused by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). My spine had curved so badly that it was crushing one of my lungs, dislocating my hip, causing terrible headaches and leaving me constantly sick. The surgery truly saved my life, but the recovery was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. Nine weeks of bed rest, pain, frustration and learning just how strong I could be. Looking back, it was one of the BEST decisions ever made! ❤️ Today, I get sick less often, live a healthier life and have a much better quality of life because of that surgery. And my scar? It’s my warrior mark! 💪 It healed beautifully, and I wear it with pride. It’s a reminder of everything I’ve overcome. Living with SMA means my body will always face challenges, but this surgery gave me a better chance at living life to the fullest. My scar is proof that I fought, I healed, and I’m still here. 🌻 #WorldSpineDay #SMAAwareness #ScoliosisAwareness #MyScarMyStory #KmotivationSA #FindingMyFeet
I can be grateful for the hands that help me and s I can be grateful for the hands that help me and still wish I could do it myself. 💙 Living with a disability means that sometimes even the smallest things require someone else’s help. And while I appreciate that support, there are days when needing it feels frustrating, exhausting, and unfair. Those feelings can exist together. My frustration doesn’t make me ungrateful. My gratitude doesn’t make the loss of independence any easier. Sometimes I need space to say, “Thank you for helping me. I wish I didn’t need to ask.” If you’ve ever felt this too, you’re not alone. #KmotivationSA #DisabilityAwareness #LivingWithSMA #Independence #DisabilityInclusion
Growing up with a disability, I thought everyone w Growing up with a disability, I thought everyone was going to look like me. When your family makes you feel normal, you don’t spend your childhood questioning whether you fit in. You’re just you. A daughter. A sister. A child growing up, laughing, playing and finding her way. My disability was part of our everyday life. I belonged without having to think about it. So it took time to realise that the world outside our home didn’t always see me the way my family did. That people would stare. That places wouldn’t always make room for me. That something so normal to me could seem so different to someone else. Looking back, I’m grateful I grew up with that feeling of belonging. With a family who made me feel comfortable being myself. Every child deserves that. To feel loved, included and at home in who they are. 💛 #KmotivationSA #GrowingUpWithADisability #DisabilityAwareness #Inclusion #Belonging
Facebook Twitter Instagram

© 2020 Kerry Walsh Trust