Reading Time: 3 minutes
Leah Messer is providing an update on the special challenges that she and her daughter have faced this year.
Before her career or her role as a public figure, Leah is first and foremost a mom.
Ali is a teenager. She has muscular dystrophy, which impacts her life in ways that she would rather that it didn’t.
As Leah explains in a recent interview, Ali is making many of her own decisions. There’s a balancing act to parenting.
As a mom, Leah Messer delves into the ‘challenge’ of Ali’s muscular dystrophy
During a recent conversation with TooFab, Leah Messer discussed her daughter, Ali. The teen has been reluctant to make full use of her wheelchair.
Mother and daughter had disagreed over some things, and Leah answered a question about balancing her role as Ali’s mother with Ali’s autonomy.
Calling it a “challenge,” Leah admitted that this felt like “probably one of the hardest things I’ve gone through thus far.”
Leah Messer went on to delve into “being a mom and navigating her having muscular dystrophy.”
She spoke about keeping Ali safe while allowing her to “be independent, just like everybody else.” Ali, who is 15, just obtained her driving learner’s permit in late 2024.
Leah acknowledged that there’s no simple answer. Parenting Ali has been about answering specific challenges when they come up.
Ali, with encouragement from Leah Messer, uses her ‘voice’
Additionally, Leah stressed that one of the best ways to approach Ali’s muscular dystrophy has been physical therapy.
“I want her to use her voice,” she added. “I’ve been teaching her to speak up and use her voice.”
Leah admitted that finding the right “balance” for her daughter “is a challenge.” As so much of parenting is. (Just like being a child, of course)
When it comes to the school year, Leah thought about it and added that Ali has become more willing to use her wheelchair as the school year has progressed.
“She’s been more open to using it more often,” she explained. “I think she’s found ways that work for her.”
Leah continued: “You’ll see that play out this season.” Apparently, we’ll see Ali begin to use her wheelchair “for longer distances.”
‘She comes around, but it’s a challenge’
Leah Messer emphasized that the desire for Ali to use a wheelchair for longer distances is “to protect her, to keep her safe.” As a teen, it can be hard to internalize that — especially during the school year.
As you can see from the video above, all of the Teen Mom alums present agreed that there are unique hurdles in adolescence. They know this as parents but also as people who became parents as teens.
Ali is lucky to have people who care so much about her well-being and safety. That doesn’t make her own challenges any easier as she navigates her health, her mobility, and her social life.
