Teen Mom's Leah Messer and Corey Simms Team Up to Discuss Muscular Dystrophy and Wheelchair Use with Daughter Aliannah

Mar. 15, 2025

Leah Messer with daughters Ali and Aleeah (left), Corey Simms with Aleeah and Ali.Photo:Ali Simms/instagram; leah messer/instagram

Ali Simms/instagram; leah messer/instagram

Leah Messerand Corey Simms are showing a united front on an important co-parenting issue.

Both parents have been concerned that daughter Aliannah, 15, who lives with muscular dystrophy, isn’t making beneficial choices about when to use her wheelchair.

During a custody exchange featured in the latest episode ofTeen Mom: The Next Chapter, the two discuss how to handle it. Messer explained her attempts to talk to Ali haven’t gotten anywhere.

“We’ve taught her to use her voice so much… This is where I think we’re going to have a lot of tornados, little twisters, pop up. She’s gonna say, ‘Well, y’all said to use my voice and now I’m using my voice and y’all’s not listening,’ " Simms says.

“That is so hard because she hasn’t accepted that she has muscular dystrophy yet, so if I tell her, ‘You won’t be walking behind people,’ or ‘People won’t be helping you,’ she’s like, ‘Well I won’t ask for nothing.’ She’s very strong-willed and I love that.”

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Simms admits that he feels “guilty” that the co-parents didn’t normalize wheelchair use more when Ali was younger.

“She’s buckin' it because it’s not normal,” Simms says.

“And we should have made it more normal,” Messer agrees.

The co-parents agree they have to continue to validate the fact that Ali’s made more progress than they were told was physically possible for her. They also shared their concerns about how Aleeah deals with her sister Ali’s needs.

“Aleeah puts a lot of pressure on herself, especially when it comes to Ali. Ali mentioned her holding the door for her. I don’t want that for Ali and I don’t want that for Aleeah either.”

“If we’re going to talk, Aleeah is part of it. This is an issue that we’ve gotta figure out before something would happen. I don’t think it’s going to be a simple conversation.”

The twins get out of Messer’s car and join their parents for what ends up being a quick chat.

“With the issue that came up with going to the football game, we want you to understand that we definitely see your progress and how proud we are with the muscular dystrophy and how you’ve tackled it and are really killing it,” Simms begins.

“But it takes one second for an accident to happen. It can be an uneven ground and if you were to tear your ACL or hurt your kneecaps and your ACL and stuff, that can be a lot more difficult to overcome. The wheelchair will be a tool that you can use that will —”

“When I need it,” Ali cuts in.

“To move around more effectively,” Messer offers.

“If there’s a time that either one of us feels that there’s a time you need it, you have to use it,” Simms said. When the teen asked what happens if she doesn’t agree that she needs it, he doubled down.

“If we think you do, then that’s what it is.”

Ali says the decision is “not fair” and refuses to make eye contact with her parents as they continue.

“It’s hard. I know it’s hard. But if there’s a time that you might not want to and we think you do, then that’s how it’s going to be.”

“I couldn’t imagine how Ali feels. If anything, it hurts me that she feels that pain and she’s not getting it out. I feel angry for her. So I can’t imagine, like if I feel angry and I feel pain for her as she’s trying to process this, I wonder how she feels deep down inside.”

source: people.com