Living with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) means I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Sometimes when everything seems lined up just right, something completely out of my control will change the script. This week, that something was a spider bite. It started small, a mark on my arm I noticed when…
Four weeks of treatment with the highest tested dose of the experimental therapy DT-216P2 was associated with improvements in functional scores for four people with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) in an early clinical trial. Data also indicate that DT-216P2 was generally well tolerated and showed biomarker activity consistent with increasing…
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I am entering the joyful, frenetic, and sometimes frustrating fundraising season for my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) patient organization, the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA). Every year, I go into it with big numbers in my head about how much money I am going to bring in. Deep down,…
A combination of exercise and an energy-boosting supplement may improve physical fitness in children and adults with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), although the added benefit of the supplement over exercise alone remains unclear, according to results from a clinical trial. Those who participated in a 12-week program combining aerobic and strength…
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My husband, Dave, came home the other day to me screaming cuss words in the bathroom. This time, I was yelling at my bladder, which was threatening to explode before I could get to the toilet. Dave strode past the bathroom without greeting me, as he usually does. These very…
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Two years ago, our family attended an event hosted by the local chapter of A Kid Again, a nonprofit dedicated to providing monthly adventures for families raising a child with a life-threatening illness. We were invited because in 2020, our youngest daughter, Amelia, then 8 years old, was diagnosed…
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Becoming educated and informed about FA is a good first step. Here you’ll find general information about the disease, including diagnosis, symptoms, and causes.
It helps to know others have been where you are now. Here’s a collection of our columnists’ words of wisdom to help you along on your FA journey.
There is no cure for FA yet, but here you can find more information about current therapeutic approaches, as well as experimental treatments that are in the pipeline.
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