Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease in which loss of nerve cells in the spinal cord called motor neurons affects the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement. Resulting muscle weakness is most severe in muscles closest to the center of the body, such as those of the shoulders, hips, thighs and upper back.. SMA is one of the neuromuscular diseases that falls under the umbrella of diseases for which the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) supports research.

Alexa Dectis of Allentown, Pennsylvania was diagnosed with SMA Type II (SMA2) when she was 14 months old. At first, hearing this news was devastating for her parents, Peter and Julie, as they realized that their daughter would never be able to walk. But as amazing Alexa grew older, her parents realized that her resilience and determination to fight the odds were much stronger than the debilitating affect of her condition.

Alexa and her parents began volunteering for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) since she was just two years old. She became the MDA State Ambassador for Pennsylvania when she was four and she has just agreed to once again be the Pennsylvania State Ambassador for 2009 as well.

This will be her fourth term as the MDA Pennsylvania State Ambassador and she is as excited as ever to have the honor of serving in such an important position for the association:

“Raising awareness will ultimately find a cure for neuromuscular diseases. This cure will get me out of my wheelchair and all those other kids out of their chairs,” she remarks.

http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom1-09.html#1