Leah Messer’s Daughter Ali Was Able to Cheerlead With Her Sister Despite Her Disability
She's not letting anything hold her back! Despite being diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy at a young age, Leah Messer's daughter Ali Simms was able to cheerlead right alongside her twin sister Aleeah "Gracie" Simms. Check out the video above to see the cute pic!
The eight-year-old's medical diagnosis was central to Leah's plot line on Teen Mom 2, and Leah was both relieved and worried when she finally found out that Ali had Titin's muscular dystrophy. Over time, Ali will lose muscle strength and respiratory function and will likely eventually be confined to a wheelchair. But since the diagnosis, Leah has supported her daughter and encouraged her to do anything she puts her mind to. However, some fans think the mom-of-three has gone too far in allowing Ali to participate in the dangerous sport of competitive cheerleading.
"I'm sure Ali had a lot of fun doing this, and in the moment, that’s great. But eventually, she is going to fall. I don’t want to see her hurt herself. You can live a full life in a chair. Over and over Leah and Corey ignore the doctors, trying to prove how 'strong' Ali is," one person wrote on reddit. "But Ali being strong has NOTHING to do with the progression of the disease. Corey and Leah I think are still in some denial because Ali can still walk and do things, but when she isn’t it will hit them and Ali hard. They needed to step up as parents a long time ago and accept that they have a child with a disability. It doesn’t make her worth less than or not as smart as or not as bright as or not as creative as her sister, but the cold hard reality is that Ali is physically limited. We can see it on the show when she plays."
Another person added, "Cheerleading is a risky sport in the best of situations. I was literally dropped by two girls when I was about 11 and hit the back of my head so hard I quit forever. And we were all able-bodied and athletic. This is just asinine."
Other fans defended and praised Leah for teaching Ali that she can do anything she puts her mind to. "None of us know enough to judge what Ali should or shouldn't do!!!!!!! The word rare should be enough for anyone to know they do not know jack about what Ali should be doing," one fan argued. "You all in the dark ages about disability, and what role a doctor or any 'expert' should play. Leah, Ali, and Cory ALWAYS have the final decision. Kids with extra challenges shouldn't be in bubble wrap — all kids fall, all kids get hurt, life goes on."
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