The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Podcast with Kevin Schaefer · SMA News Today

#132: Collin Pollock, Business Owner With SMA

·30 min·1 clip

A fall that broke Colin's left femur forced him into rehab, a wheelchair, and a job loss.

1. The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Podcast with Kevin Schaefer centers on Colin Pollock's life with SMA, his family, and his barbecue sauce business. 2. Kevin Schaefer hosts the episode, and Colin Pollock is the guest; Colin says he has SMA type 3, lives in Orange County, California, and runs Willie Q with Kyla. 3. The episode asks how Colin built a career, a marriage, and a family life while his mobility and daily care needs changed over time. 4. Colin says he was diagnosed with SMA at 13 after trouble running and keeping up with other children. 5. He recalls that doctors first thought the issue was his hips or back, then a muscle biopsy led to an SMA type 3 diagnosis around 1985. 6. Colin says he had a normal childhood in many ways, played in band, and used music and art because climbing stairs and running were hard in high school. 7. He describes the diagnosis as something he took in stride because he already knew something was wrong and had no clear future prognosis. 8. Colin says he has an older adopted brother, and he lived with his parents through college. 9. He studied music first, played saxophone in jazz band from middle school into college, and then switched to accounting because he did not expect to make much money as a musician. 10. After college he worked as an accountant for a company that bought and sold mental hospitals. 11. Colin says a fall at home broke his left femur and sent him into rehab, where he learned to use a wheelchair part time. 12. He says that recovery led to moving back with his parents, losing his job, and teaching himself graphic design and web development. 13. Colin later found work with a real estate marketing company and spent about 10 years in graphic design and marketing. 14. He says he became full-time wheelchair user after later injuries and increasing difficulty transferring into the driver's seat. 15. Colin says the California Department of Rehabilitation helped him get a van he could drive, which restored commuting and a more regular schedule. 16. He met Kyla through Yahoo Personals, dated her after being open about his disability, married her about a year after he proposed, and says they have been married almost 18 years. 17. Colin says Kyla gradually became his full-time caregiver as his abilities changed, and now helps him with dressing, showering, toileting, meals, and nighttime transfers. 18. The interview has a practical, conversational style, with Kevin prompting specific life stages and Colin answering with detailed examples. 19. Colin's story will appeal to adults with SMA, caregivers, and families comparing work, marriage, and independence. 20. Listeners seeking a fast news update or clinical explanation of SMA may skip it.

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