Aaron Phelps, a senior at Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California, has achieved a remarkable milestone by graduating high school despite being born with Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, a rare and devastating childhood disease that causes motor neurons to die.
Resilience and Determination
Aaron’s journey with this disease has been marked by resilience and determination. His mother, Meri Stratton, recalled the moment she realized something was wrong during a routine checkup when Aaron was 2 months old. The diagnosis was heartbreaking, with doctors telling Meri that her son would not survive.
However, Meri turned to prayer and research, eventually connecting with researchers at Stanford and the University of Utah who were working on an experimental drug. The treatment kept Aaron alive through his first birthday, his first grade, and beyond.
Aaron is mentally like any other student, but the disease caused him to lose complete mobility. He is not immunocompromised, but any virus or infection that affects his lungs could send him to the hospital, according to his mother.
In elementary school, his parents discovered the idea of a telepresence robot through another family whose child has the same disease. This technology allowed Aaron to attend school virtually, and he has been doing so since kindergarten.
Aaron’s journey with the disease inspired him to create a documentary about his life as one of the few survivors of his age. The documentary gained international recognition, being shown in Berlin and at the Catalina Film Festival, where a tree was planted in his honor.
Aaron graduated from Rodriguez High School on June 5 and now plans to attend Arizona State University online. He dreams of working as a disability advocate for Disney.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
