Insights by Ira: A Celebration of the Best of MDA Center Care Physicians

Prior to the start of 2025, I began the usual and customary exercise of establishing professional and personal goals for the new year.  While I have many goals this year, including writing my first fiction novel, expanding my culinary abilities and sharing my love of cooking through online videos, and continuing to have a consistent positive impact on my community, one goal that I have is especially important to me. And that goal is to continue to utilize the amazing platform that I’ve been given to celebrate those who have made a significant impact on me and others within the neuromuscular community.  To make inroads into this goal, I want to celebrate some of the distinguished neuromuscular physicians that are near and dear to my heart. I want to highlight and honor those who have made a monumental difference in my life.

Ira Walker lives independently in Florida

Like many others living with muscular dystrophy, the desire for a full life of achievement, comfortability, and independence is present. A life complete with care, community, peace, and accord. A life that contains the level of independence that is most obtainable to our specific situation of life. The life that one desires with a realistic level of independence. Countless numbers of individuals with muscular dystrophy are living proof that it’s possible to achieve these things. I, Ira Walker, am evidence that its possible.

I am a 40-year-old individual with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who lives an independent, cosmopolitan life in south Florida, drives a nice vehicle, holds a full-time job in a great career, cooks, stays active, and does it all with a beautiful smile firmly reflected on my face.  And this is possible because of those who raise us to see possibilities and have a winning/can-do spirit, it’s possible because of a community that sees our unique gifts, abilities, and talents as value added to the community, and it’s possible due to the MDA care physicians who keep encouragement, hope, and optimism front and center in all conversations while interacting with those with muscular dystrophy.  I know this because I have received this support and it has helped me live the life that I am living.

From the time of my birth until my move to south Florida in my late 30’s, I was blessed to receive world class care from one of the nation’s top MDA Care Centers from the physicians at Washington University in St. Louis. From pediatric care to adult internal medicine, the physicians at Wash U provided me with the exceptional, dedicated care and treatment that truly made a difference in my life.

It doesn’t take deep introspection into my journey or my life for me to find a physician that has been paramount in uplifting me, caring for me, keeping me accountable, and demonstrating truly what it means to be the Good Doctor.  For me, that individual is Dr. Anne Connolly.  During late adolescence and into early adulthood, I had the great honor of having Dr. Connolly as my trusted medical advisor, my healthcare guide, and my doctor.  Now, although Dr. Connolly was my neurologist, she was also more than just a physician specialist to me. She truly was the doctor that showed and demonstrated to me what it means to be a physician of class, compassion, empathy, and kindheartedness.  Dr. Connolly spent generous amounts of time to get to know me, to see the best in me, and to recognize the value in me.  By getting to know me, Dr. Connolly consistently and assertively encouraged me to excel in life and to never stop pursuing my dreams and ambitions that I shared with her. Every appointment and encounter with Dr. Connolly would begin with a big hug from her that would lead to a warm uplifting conversation and the question that she always asked, “Ira, when are you going to find a good woman in your life?”   Listen, if Dr. Connolly is reading, I want to give her a quick update and state that some things in life apparently just take longer than others to come into existence…That’s the best response I can give on that matter!

Ira Walker enjoying a open beach cafe.

Dr. Connolly’s gentleness, understanding, and partnership in making certain that she provided me with excellent care, available resources, and love was incredibly valuable to me.  To me, she is the paradigm of the Good Doctor.  Years have passed since I’ve been under Dr. Connolly’s excellent care, but one thing is certain, Dr. Connolly is truly a large piece of the equation that resulted in my independence.

As of recent, my neuromuscular care has transitioned down to the southern tip of the sunshine state. I’m blessed to now be under the medical expertise and the great medical advisement of Dr. Mario Saporta. Although it’s only been a brief period of time so far that Dr. Saporta and I have shared a patient/physician relationship, it has been clear to me from the start that I’m with the right physician.  Dr. Saporta is one of the very best and his remarkable staff of medical professionals at the University of Miami MDA Care Center have quickly taken me in and shown me the superior care that I’m most accustomed to receiving.

In closing, I want to once again thank the many neuromuscular physicians that have entered my life and those who dedicate their careers to care for people in our community. I truly believe that without the compassion, determination, and care of our MDA Care Center physicians, the future for those living with neuromuscular diseases would not be as bright as it is today. These specialists and experts that support and empower us to  be our best  are undoubtably the cornerstone and the key to a brighter future – and I am so grateful that they are part of mine!