In honour of Disability Pride Month, we are celebrating the achievements of some of the members of the SMA community.
Hi, my name is Ellie Killick. I have SMA Type 2 and I have just graduated from university with a first-class honours in Multimedia Sports Journalism.
For the majority of my childhood, I grew up in a bubble of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) world. I was surrounded by peers with similar conditions, fully accepted and in many ways shielded from the outside world. I never thought moving away from home would be possible, I relied so heavily on my family and couldn’t imagine living independently. But at the age of 19, I took the leap and moved away to university, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
It would be naive of me to say living with a muscle-wasting condition is smooth sailing – because it’s not, some days are tough. The biggest challenge I had to overcome was the jump from being surrounded by people in wheelchairs every day to being the only one in my whole university.
This affected me socially, as many people had never met someone who uses a wheelchair and weren’t sure how to interact with me. However, over time I found friends who made me feel included and like I belonged – feelings that were missing in the early months. The university itself also wasn’t set up for someone like me. There were countless occasions where I had to fight for the support I was entitled to; looking back now, those experiences have shaped me into the resilient woman I am today.
Despite the challenges, I still managed to achieve the best result possible in my degree, and I am incredibly proud of that. Studying in the famous Wembley Stadium as a sports fan was a dream come true, and I look forward to continuing my journey at Loughborough University.
With the support of my incredible 24/7 care team, I have been able to live the last four years to the absolute fullest. University isn’t just about the time you spend in a classroom. It has given me the confidence to become so much more independent. I’ve travelled the world, attended an obscene amount of events and most importantly, lived my best life.
Disability Pride Month is a reminder that our disabilities are not something to hide or be ashamed of. SMA doesn’t define me, but it sure has made me the person I am today and I’m proud of that.
