TONIGHT MICHAEL FLANNERY INTRODUCES US TO A WITHIMSVILLE COUPLE WHO DOESN'T HAVE TO IMAGINE ANY OF THIS.

SMA. SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY. EVER HEAR OF IT? KIDS WITH TYPE ONE SMA DON'T HAVE THE MUSCLE STRENGTH TO WALK, USE THEIR ARMS, SWALLOW OR SOMETIMES TALK.

THERE'S NO TREATMENT, NO CURE AND LIFE EXPECTANCY IS TWO YEARS.

THAT'S THE INFORMATION BETH AND KEVIN LOCKWOOD GOT FROM THEIR DOCTOR WHEN THEIR EMMA WAS DIAGNOSED.

EMMA: Zipidy do dah zipidy day,

DAD: It was like it almost wasn't real how can this happen to us?.

EMMA: ...my oh my what a wonderful day

DAD: But after a while you have to come to terms with this is true. This is the real deal.

THE REAL DEAL IS EMMA HAS SMA AND THERE IS NO CURE. HER LEGS AND ARMS ARE NOW USELESS.

MUSCLES USE FOR EATING AND SWALLOWING GONE.

BREATHING IS DIFFICULT AND LABORED SO SPEAKING IS TOUGH. BUT SHE STILL LOVES TO SING.

EMMA: ...zipidy do da zipidy day.

THE FAMILY IS FIGHTING THE DISEASE SO EMMA IS ALIVE FOR THE CURE.

BUT THAT'S A FULL TIME JOB WHEN JUST A WALKING WITH A STROLLER THROUGH THE MALL CAN BE FATAL.

DAD: "I just happened to look down. I didn't hear her or see her. And luckily it was soon enough after and she just had all this stuff just bubbling out of her mouth and she was unconscious and looked pretty much lifeless. And I gave her CPR and paramedics showed up and luckily through a little CPR she came back right away."

THE DISEASE CAN BE JUST AS FATAL FOR HER LITTLE BROTHER NICHOLAS WHO HAS IT TOO.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR KIDS NEED MACHINES THAT BREATH FOR THEM AT NIGHT.

AND MACHINES THAT COUGH FOR THEM DURING THE DAY.

DAD: "Ready? One, cough."

AND INSTEAD OF GRILLED CHEESE AND TOMATO SOUP AT THE KITCHEN TABLE.

THEY GET A YELLOWISH LIQUID POURED DIRECTLY INTO THEIR STOMACH.

YOU HANG ON TO THE KNOWLEDGE THAT A CURE IS CLOSE.

KEVIN: One of the things we've learned over the past few years is that SMA is considered one of the closest out of all the 300 neurological muscular diseases out there to finding a cure. And their extremely close they're right around the corner to finding a cure. they just need more money."

THE LOCKWOODS PRAY THE RESEARCH IS COMPLETED NOT JUST FOR EMMA AND NICHOLAS BUT FOR THE ONE IN FORTY PARENTS WHO CARRY THE GENE FOR SMA SO THEY DON'T PASS IT ON TO THEIR CHILDREN.

DAD: "Our doctor told us there's nothing we can do there's no cure out there there's no effective treatment or medication we can give them."

SO THEIR KIDS FIGHT

AND ...KEEP THEIR HOPES UP.

The Families OF SMA IS A GROUP THAT RAISES THE MONEY FOR RESEARCH. 100 PERCENT OF YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

AND WILL GO TO SAVE EMMA AND HER LITTLE BROTHER NICHOLAS.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR BOTH OF THEM.

TO MAKE A DONATION CALL 852 4971.