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

#150: Jenna and Tanya Vega share their love story

·29 min·1 clip

We suffered through 115-degree heat on the bus, but that showed me what real love looks like.

Host Kevin Schaefer, who has SMA Type 2, interviews married couple Jenna and Tanya Vega, who share their personal love story and life with SMA. Jenna, 24, has SMA Type 2 and works as a creative director, while Tanya is her full-time caregiver. The couple met online as teenagers in 2018 and began a long-distance relationship, with Tanya driving over an hour to visit Jenna on weekends. They moved in together after one year of dating, a decision accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. An early date involved getting tarot cards read in Palm Springs, which supposedly foretold a happy marriage. The Vegas have lived in four apartments, owned five cars, and now have two pets, building a life together from lower-income backgrounds. A significant symbol of their growth is purchasing a new car, contrasting with a prior year of relying on buses in the desert heat. They attended an SMA conference where friends threw them a bachelorette party, integrating them into the broader community. Tanya had no prior experience with disability before meeting Jenna but learned caregiving techniques from Jenna's mother. Their daily routine in Palm Springs involves work, exercise, gardening, and enjoying their pool, with Tanya often cooking as an act of love. Jenna emphasizes the importance of transparent communication about disability when dating, while also nurturing the romantic relationship. She advises others with SMA that a supportive partner won't be scared off by care needs and that nurturing in a relationship can take non-physical forms. The episode has a warm, conversational tone, focusing on personal narrative and relationship advice. Listeners interested in uplifting love stories within the disability community or seeking advice on SMA and dating would enjoy this episode. Those looking for clinical SMA information or broader disability policy discussions might find it less relevant.

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