Ben Mattlin was born with spinal muscular atrophy , a rare degenerative disease . He has been in and out of hospitals since he was 3 years old because his muscles are so weak that they can not move properly. Spinal muscular atrophy affects 1 in 6,000 Americans .
Ben Mattlin was born with spinal muscular atrophy , a rare degenerative disease . Mattlin was one of the first students in a wheelchair to attend Harvard University . Spinal muscular atrophy affects 1 in 6,000 Americans .