TEEN Mom star Leah Messer’s daughter Ali has been fighting muscular dystrophy since birth, documenting the journey.
The MTV star revealed her daughter’s scary diagnosis in 2014.
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Leah, 31, and Ali, 13, have been open with fans about her muscular dystrophy battle.
Ali was diagnosed with Titin Myotonic muscular dystrophy while still appearing on 16 & Pregnant.
Titin Myotinic MD is a rare form of progressive weakness disease that had been seen in less than 20 cases around the world at the time of her diagnosis.
Leah has remained hopeful amid Ali’s diagnosis.
Back in February, the Teen Mom star filmed several videos with her daughters on Instagram asking them about their plans for the future.
Ali appeared in the second of three videos, revealing that she has high hopes for her life.
The young TV personality told her mom: “I’m going to have a horse barn and be an equestrian and then I have like three dog breeds – two or three – a St. Bernard, a Cane Corso, or an English Mastiff and then two cats.”
Leah chimed in, adding: “We should probably add writer to that bio because we have something in the works.”
She also revealed that her daughter was already looking at colleges despite her age.
Ali has never let her muscular dystrophy keep her down, participating in all kinds of activities including horseback riding.
As she celebrates turning 14, here’s a look at her through the years.
NEW WHEELS
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While Leah’s daughter can still walk, she does occasionally rely on a wheelchair to support her or help her conserve energy.
On Monday, she was seen in videos from a holiday celebration being pushed in a chair by her dad Corey Simms.
The video was posted on Corey’s father Jeff’s Instagram page.
It showed Ali sitting in her wheelchair as she played the clarinet in her school’s Christmas parade.
She wore a festive Santa Claus hat and had her chair decorated in holiday decor.
Jeff captioned the post: “Ali participated with her school marching band in the local Christmas parade!”
The proud grandfather explained that she would not be able to play her instrument and control the chair on her own.
ALI’S DREAMS
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In February, Ali revealed her hopes for the future in a social media video.
She told her mom in the clip: “I’m going to have a horse barn and be an equestrian and then I have like three dog breeds – two out of three – a St. Bernard, a Cane Corso, or an English Mastiff and then two cats.”
Leah chimed in, adding: “We should probably add writer to that bio because we have something in the works.”
TOUGH BATTLE
The Teen Mom 2 star generally remains positive about her daughter’s diagnosis but she also occasionally gets emotional talking about it.
The mom-of-three broke down while discussing Ali’s battle in 2021 during a Teen Mom reunion special.
She chatted with Dr Drew and Nessa Diab about the progress Ali had made at the time.
Dr Drew said on the show: “A quick thing on Ali’s disorder, her muscular dystrophy – I caught that the doctor was changing her prognosis a bit, because they now have a bigger cohort with her rare genetic, specific problem, right?”
Leah replied: “Yes.
“I have so much good news about this – I have just partnered with a not-for-profit organization and sent her muscle biopsy from 2012 to OSU – Ohio State University…”
She then paused for a deep breath as she began to tear up, telling the show’s hosts: “Guys this has been a hell of a 12 years… for treatment and a cure…
“If they had us stop looking for a diagnosis, I would never be 12 years into it, we’re finding a cure in research.”
Leah passionately added: “Don’t tell me f**king science isn’t real because that’s my daughter’s livelihood.”
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MAJOR MILESTONES
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Ali and her twin sister Aleeah celebrated their 13th birthday with a princess-style bash.
The sibling duo dressed up as Disney princesses with one opting for Rapunzel from Tangled and the other going with Elsa from Frozen.
In a sweet snap shared by Leah, Ali and Aleeah smiled at the camera while eating cake covered in blue frosting.
There was a dessert table at the part that included a lineup of cookies, doughnuts, and cupcakes with white frosting.
In a subsequent Instagram Story, Aleeah had to lift up her skirt as she walked while fake snow showered her from a snow maker.
Into the Unknown from the Frozen movie played in the background.
At the end of the night, the birthday girls appeared exhausted as they slept on one another.
LEANING ON SCIENCE
One month before she turned 13, Ali made a visit to the hospital where she’s been working with a doctor to treat her MD and monitor its progression.
Leah brought her, documenting the trip online.
In one photo, Leah and Ali posed for a selfie together while sporting surgical masks.
In another photo, the preteen posed with Dr. Tsao, who she’s been working with since a young age.
Leah captioned the posts: “Another great check-up appointment for my sweet Ali girl.
“I’m so proud of her & always grateful for everyone that has been on this journey with us.”
One fan commented: “Her doctor that’s been with her since the beginning awwww,” with a crying emoji.
Another reacted with: “I’ve watched this girl grow up since her birth on teen mom.
“She has gone through some struggles but she never gave up. It’s so great to see how much she has grown and how well she is doing.”
GROWING FAST
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In October 2021, fans got a glimpse at how fast Ali is growing in a photo shared by Leah.
She posted the clip on social media, suggesting that she was making great progress at the time.
Ali smiled at the camera, perching herself on the arm of the couch.
She had on a brown corduroy jacket and round glasses.
Her hair was tied back in French braids.
Leah captioned the post: “My girl,” adding a photo of a sun with the words, “you are my sunshine,” inside.
She set the video to the song, You Are My Sunshine by Jonathan Roy.
BRAVE GIRL
In August 2021, Leah posted a video showing her daughter riding in a hot pink wheelchair.
Ali used a joystick to steer the wheelchair across the sidewalk.
She had glasses on her face and her long hair in a ponytail.
Leah captioned the video: “My heart.”
The Taylor Swift song, Stay Beautiful, played during the short clip.
Ali has repeatedly been encouraged to use her power wheelchair to conserve her energy and prevent big falls.
In another Instagram Story, the Teen Mom 2 star shared photos of black shirts that read: “Rare Disease Awareness.”
The caption read: “#TeamAli. Thank you!”
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