Lately, Leah Messer’s come under fire for not being a child-abuser, which is bizarre but thoroughly typical of how, for a very vocal minority of Teen Mom 2 fans, she just can’t win. Even for doing good things.
Even Leah’s harshest critics should appreciate this, though — as she proudly announced her daughter Ali Simms passing a huge milestone!
It’s a big deal, especially since Ali’s muscular dystrophy can make even simple activities strenuous or even impossible.
Ali Simms has a rare form of muscular dystrophy.
While different cases and forms of MD can progress at different rates, but involves the breakdown of skeletal muscles over time.
Skeletal muscles are throughout the body and are basically how people do things like walking. Most of them are attached to the bones with tendons.
As painful as this is to imagine, children with muscular dystrophy can experience the effects of this breakdown at an early age.
It can be directly inherited from a parent or caused by an early mutation (Ali’s twin, Aleeah, does not yet appear to have MD).
Ali has struggled with certain activities, complaining that some physical motions and activities are “too hard.”
Many children with muscular dystrophy face the looming reality that they will lose their ability to walk.
That doesn’t mean that Ali is incapable of activities, however — for fun but also for therapeutic purposes.
Leah Messer shared with pride that her daughter Ali had learned to ride a bike.
Leah took to Snapchat to share the news.
Leah’s so proud!
Ali and Aleeah are both part of a local softball team, which is adorable.
We hope that Ali will be able to continue to play for a good, long time.
We know that Ali quit tumbling (kids’ gymnastics) because the strain was too much, but maybe softball will be easier on her.
Bills for physical therapy and specialized equipment for a child with muscular dystrophy can get steep over time.
It’s a great thing that Leah Messer has that Teen Mom money so that she can support all of her children.
What might be even better is that Leah Messer has seemed to be thriving as a single mother for the past year, which has been such a welcome sight.
Now, we’re not going to pretend that Leah’s perfect these days.
She might not be nodding off while holding her kids or getting them carted away because she can’t keep her schedule straight enough to get them to school, which is great.
Because that was the situation when her twins were younger.
But Leah recently shared a quote on Instagram that suggested that, were she married, she would put her husband before her kids.
That is literally never an appropriate statement to make or belief to follow.
You did not bring your husband in this world, so he cannot be a higher priority than your children.
Once you cause a person to exist, you owe them — they’re your primary responsibility.
Period.
Hopefully the backlash will really make it sink in that her children should be her first priority, no matter what.
But that was … alarming.
Especially considering how far she’s come.
Growing up on camera isn’t easy.
Little children might not be as aware of it.
It will get harder as they get older.
The pressures of reality television families can be intense — just look at what life in front of the camera has done to Tamra Judge’s family.
(Though, honestly, it’s pretty clear that Tamra herself is more of a culprit than reality television)
At the moment, though, it’s how Leah can support her daughters as they grow.
In Leah’s case, the intrusion of the cameras doesn’t seem to be harmful.
