'Teen Mom 2' Star Leah Messer-Calvert: 'Ali is Running Despite All Odds!'
"Teen Mom 2" star Leah Messer-Calvert was devastated to hear that her daughter, Ali, may lose control of her muscles and not be able to walk. But Ali has apparently defied all the odds and is running, according to Calvert, which gives her more hope for her daughter's future.
"Ali is running," Calvert told In Touch. "She has so much determination. We're in awe of how she handles adversity. She's doing so much better than expected. We don't know what the future holds, but this is proof that we should never give up hope."
Ali's story is also reaching new fans and offering help and support to them, which makes Calvert an even prouder mama.
"One girl who reached out to me also suffers from muscular dystrophy. It made my hope for Ali so much more realistic," Calvert said.
Since birth, Ali had had developmental delays and was not progressing as quickly as her twin sister, Aleeah. After years of testing, doctors finally determined that Ali has a very rare and incurable form of muscular dystrophy. It was a devastating blow to the family but one that actually brought them closer together.
"We were scared because we didn't know what her future was going to look like, but we always pushed for answers," Calvert said. "We never gave up, and we never will. We'll do everything we can to make sure Ali has the life that she needs. Ali's condition has brought us all extremely close together. We have to stay strong for Ali, and things are going good."
Doctors told Calvert that Ali would need a wheelchair in order to attend school because she wouldn't have the strength to keep up with the other students. That led Calvert and husband Jeremy to purchase a new home, one that is wheelchair accessible. Viewers have watched Calvert and family struggle with the diagnosis and do their very best to take care of Ali, twin Aleeah, and new sibling, Addie.
"Teen Mom 2" airs Tuesday nights on MTV.