When Kim Jago was born, doctors told her parents she might not live to be a teenager. Forty-one years later, the Tarneit resident with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is still going strong.
“I don’t see myself as having a condition,” she says. “I guess I do what I can, the best I can.”
SMA is a genetic condition affecting the nerves that control muscle movement.
In Kim’s case, the condition is debilitating and progressive and she has little movement below the neck.
“There are definitely hurdles, but I’ll jump them,” she says. “I run a small business; everything is achievable if you do it your own way. I often tell my carers they’re not my mind. Yes, they’re my arms and legs, but that’s all.”
When Kim met Sue Kull three years ago, she inspired her new friend without realising.
Sue decided to embark on a 250-kilometre walk from Melbourne to Warrnambool to raise awareness and money for SMA, leaving on New Year’s Day and finishing last Friday.
She has raised more than $2400.
“I’d never heard of SMA until I met Kim,” Sue says. “I still don’t hear much about it.”
“It needs a lot more awareness out there.
“Kim’s dream is to make more people aware, so I was happy to help with that. She’s such an amazing person who celebrates every single day.”
Sue is in the process of planning her next walk, from Melbourne to Bendigo, to raise funds for Alzheimer’s.
