content<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":9339,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-9329","individual-spotlight","type-individual-spotlight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"first_name":"Leigha","last_name":"Nichter","photo":"https:\/\/www.lgmd-info.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/gravity_forms\/11-c36c6c8e4215414f83996efbb5184e12\/2025\/12\/IMG_7199.jpeg","age":"31","country":"United States","lgmd_subtype_if_known":"LGMD 2I \/ LGMD R9 FKRP-related","lgmd_subtype_other":"","at_what_age_were_you_diagnosed":"14","what_were_your_first_symptoms":"My earliest symptoms were trouble running, climbing stairs, and keeping up with the other kids. I fell often and felt a level of fatigue that didn\u2019t match my age. Gym class, sports, and even simple movements became harder and harder, while everyone around me seemed to move effortlessly. Those early signs were isolating because no one understood why my body couldn\u2019t keep up, and as an adolescent, I didn\u2019t know how to put any of that into words.","do_you_have_other_family_members_who_have_lgmd":"Yes. My brother was also diagnosed with LGMD2i, and he passed away at just 36 years old. Sharing this disease with him shaped so much of my journey. It connected us, challenged us, and ultimately deepened the purpose behind why I speak up and advocate today. His strength and courage continues to inspire everything I do.","greatest_challenges_in_living_with_lgmd":"The greatest challenge is living in a body that\u2019s constantly changing. I\u2019m always adapting, grieving abilities as they fade, and learning new ways to do things that were once so simple. The physical exhaustion and the emotional weight of the constant adjustments are the hardest parts. And yet, my challenges haven\u2019t come from the disease alone. I\u2019ve endured the loss of my mother who was my anchor, my caregiver, and my safest place, and not long after, the heartbreak of losing my brother, who shared this debilitating illness with me and understood my struggles in a way only he could. I\u2019ve survived a car accident with a drunk driver who altered the course of my body and my entire life. And all the while, fighting the weight of this disease every day that continues to take pieces of my strength with it.","what_is_your_greatest_accomplishment":"The fact that I can still stand emotionally, spiritually, and in my mission means more than anything I could ever achieve on paper.","influence_the_person_you_are_today":"LGMD has influenced every part of who I am today. It's made me more empathetic, more aware, and more grateful for the moments others overlook. It\u2019s made me cherish the tiniest of things while also holding onto the smallest abilities, the simplest movements, and every bit of strength left in me. Living with LGMD means carrying a constant grief while still choosing to show up, every single day, in whatever way your body allows. It\u2019s a continuous lesson in patience, adaptation, and resilience. LGMD has taught me how to endure, how to soften, how to advocate, and how to keep choosing hope even when the future feels uncertain. In many ways, it has shaped my life and my character, influencing how I love, how I cope, and how I move through the world.","what_do_you_want_the_world_to_know_about_lgmd":"I want the world to know that LGMD isn\u2019t \u201cjust a muscle disease.\u201d It\u2019s a lifelong, progressive condition that impacts every part of your body and every corner of your life. From how you move, to how you breathe, to how you plan. Most people don\u2019t realize how much effort it takes to do the simplest of things, or how much grief comes with losing abilities slowly over time. The slow disappearance of strength, the constant adapting, the silent grief of watching your body change in ways that are completely out of your control. LGMD affects the physical body but it also affects mental health, relationships, independence, and identity. And because so much of it is invisible, people often pass judgement.I want the world to approach LGMD with empathy, awareness, and urgency. We need more research. We need better support. And we need people to understand that those living with LGMD are fighting battles every day that most will never witness.","first_thing_that_you_would_want_to_do":"I\u2019d savor every simple movement I\u2019ve missed. I would run straight into the arms of the people I love. And then keep running, just because I finally could. I\u2019d get down on the floor and play with my dog again. I\u2019d meet my niece and nephews where they are and hug them fully, without limitation. I\u2019d stand at the counter and cook a meal without worrying whether my legs could hold me up. I\u2019d dance again, even if only for a minute, just to feel my body move freely. To move and express without thinking, without planning, without having to brace myself for what might happen next."},"yoast_head":"\n