Magdalyn Fiore

My name is Magdalyn “Maggie,” and my brother Stephen and I were born with Type II spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a degenerative neuromuscular disease that causes extreme physical weakness and fragility. We are unable to walk, and some of the most ordinary, daily tasks—like getting dressed and even talking for extended periods—are often difficult and exhausting.

We live in a small community that is perfect for us, except for one glaring flaw: The neighborhood’s broken and dangerously deteriorated road is in desperate need of repaving, and it inhibits us from being able to safely leave our house. The entire street is full of fractures, bumps, and craters, and whenever the car hits a bump, we struggle to stay upright. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve hit my head on the inside of the car door (our disease makes it harder for me to hold up my head), and I am physically exhausted by the time we leave our street.

Unfortunately, repaving our road will be a greater financial cost than our small, unincorporated neighborhood can pay for.

Stephen, a computer scientist and video game enthusiast, delights in attending Mass and other church services, visiting with nearby family, and playing a myriad of video games with our cousins, nephew and nieces, and brother-in-law. With my background in psychology and science writing, I love working as an adjunct professor of psychology and communication studies—and in my free time, I thrive on getting coffee with friends and sampling different bakeries.

But it has become extremely difficult to do many of those activities, and the battered condition of our road restricts Stephen and me from fully participating in our community and social life.

Because it’s so fatiguing just to drive on the road, Stephen and I are prevented from going out with friends and family, visiting neighbors, attending church activities, and going on errands as often as we normally would. The arduous drive out of the neighborhood depletes us of our energy and strength for the rest of the day, so we have to discern whether each outing is worth the expense to our health.

Making matters worse, our road becomes more broken every year, and eventually it will become so difficult to maneuver that delivery services will likely refuse to deliver to our homes.

This is a serious concern, as we rely on delivery services for basic needs, including essential medications for treatment of our disease. Our road also makes it difficult for us to get to the hospital when we experience medical emergencies related to our disease, as well as to doctor’s appointments, including those for respiratory and physical therapy evaluations and medical trials.

We have sought help from every possible avenue, including our Texas State Representative and the County Commissioner, but none have been able to help, primarily because we are an unincorporated community with a private road.

So, we are fundraising to repave our road not only for the safety of our neighborhood—along with friends, family, and strangers who visit it—but to offer Stephen and me the freedom to leave our house without suffering physical pain and extreme fatigue, allowing us to engage in the community and live more full and healthy lives.

If you would like to help, please consider giving a tax-deductible donation to Help Hope Live, or consider sharing our page on your social media platforms. If you are unable to financially support our cause, we ask for your prayers.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your kindness!

Help Hope Live is a nonprofit that helps individuals fundraise to cover uninsured medical expenses associated with a catastrophic illness. Donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover the client’s medical and related expenses. Funds donated to this page or made out to Magdalyn Fiore will go toward Magdalyn’s cause. Help Hope Live also accepts matching donations.

Help Hope Live’s administration fee to maintain their organization is a low 3%, meaning for every $1 donated, 97 cents goes toward covering the client’s medical and related expenses. Donations made online with credit card require an additional 2.65% processing fee.