Gwendolyn Strong *new Jellyfish* 8/17/11

This is Gwendolyn Strong. She is almost 4 years old and is a happy little girl with a

fighting spirit. Gwendolyn was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy or SMA. SMA is a

neuromuscular disease that eventually impacts every muscle in the body hindering the

ability to walk, sit up unassisted, eat, speak, breathe and swallow. SMA never effects

the mind and Gwendolyn is just like any preschooler in so many ways. 

Gwendolyn

continually shows us how very determined and spirited she is and how much she loves

being part of the world! While she cannot form words, she makes it very clear that she

wants adventure, loves being social with other children, and wants to do all the things

able-bodied children love to do. Gwendolyn proudly just finished her first year of

preschool where her favorite activities were singing with the other children, swinging in

the swings, and playing dress up. Gwendolyn is a girly-girl and has so much fun having

tea parties and putting on make up with her best friend, Hayden, but she is also a daredevil

and has been sledding, jumped in bounce houses, and loves anything that lets her

go fast -- especially driving her purple and silver power wheelchair. Gwendolyn loves

music and princess movies and is currently obsessed with the Wizard of Oz. She has

been to aquariums, museums, zoos, Disneyland and Sea World. She adores animals

and has had special experiences with many, including getting to touch and feed a

penguin, a baby fox, a giraffe and a dolphin and has weekly visits with a miniature horse

named “Little Star.” She has been to several national parks and we took her on a 5,000-

mile cross-country RV journey to meet her 104-year-old great-grandfather and had

family experiences all along the way. SMA doesnʼt make any of this easy and we usually

have to do things a bit differently, but we try as hard as possible to give Gwendolyn the

life that she wants full of rich experiences and surrounded by the love and support of

family and friends. She has been our guide and continually lets us know that SMA isnʼt

going to stop her from living life to the fullest.

 For more information about Gwendolyn

and SMA visit: GwendolynStrong.com and Facebook.com/EndSMA

Mailing address for cards:
Jellyfish Wishes
P.O. Box 263
Germantown, Ohio 45327