The Teen Mom 2 star has been open about her daughter Ali’s struggle with muscular dystrophy — a genetic disease that causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass — on the show, and she opened up about her daughter’s condition on Monday night’s episode.
Seeking to provide her with a school aid, Messer, 25, spoke to her daughter’s school and successfully obtained one.
“They did testing on everything, her heart, her lungs,” Messer told her sister, Victoria, about the series of tests Ali underwent after complaining about shortness of breath. “She does have allergies that are restricting her airways and causing asthma.”
In an episode of Teen Mom 2 in August, Messer received a phone call from Ali’s father and her ex, Corey Simms, saying he was taking their daughter to the hospital.
“The reason I am calling is because Ali is having a hard time catching her breath and I think I need to take to her to emergency room because she says she couldn’t breathe,” he said. “She’s fine. …I think it’s a little scarier for us. But we’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Besides struggling with her breathing, Ali’s teachers notified Messer of her constant falls while walking at school, while Ali complained about her difficulties opening her food during lunch time and not having enough time to eat a full meal.
“She had mentioned to us that she hadn’t been eating at school and that she was falling a lot,” Messer said. “She needs somebody with her, by her side, at all times.”
“I’m fighting for Ali — I’m going to do everything that she needs done,” she said. “We wanted her to be independent, and at the same time things are becoming progressive.”
Messer broke the news to Ali after her meeting with the school, telling her daughter that she will be shadowed by an aid.
“Whenever you’re at lunch and you’re going to eat, you’ll have somebody who’ll open your food,” she told Ali.
Throughout the episode, other Teen Mom 2 stars juggled their own difficulties with raising children. Jenelle Evans prepared for a court date with her mother Barbara Evans as she pursued full custody of her son Jace. Briana DeJesus hosted a baby shower that took a downward spin as the father of her baby, Luis, invited multiple friends without her knowledge. Chelsea Houska spent some mother-daughter bonding time while her husband Cole DeBoer spent quality time with their son, Watson Cole. Kailyn Lowry‘s ex Jo Rivera worried about the “erratic” schedule his son Isaac was on, and openly discussed pursuing legal advice.
Teen Mom 2 airs Mondays (9 p.m. ET) on MTV.
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.