Matt Lafleur,  —

Matthew's life doesn’t look like what he imagined when he was an active Cajun boy. Once diagnosed at age 11 with Friedreich’s ataxia, he threw himself into books, writing, and studies, achieving a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in mental health counseling. Writing a column at Friedreich’s Ataxia News and serving as the associate director of columns for its parent company BioNews is a perfect combination of his two degrees. He notes life’s small, often overlooked successes in his column. In progressive disability, Matt tries to notice his little victories, hoping that others notice their own ... or something like that.

Articles by Matthew Lafleur

Honoring the Legacy of Serena Lawrence

Serena Lawrence hired me as a columnist for Bionews Services. I badgered my friend Frankie, who writes the column “Fighting FA,” into recommending me. She gave my name to Serena, who walked me through the onboarding process. I was touched by…

Longing for the Sky

“But the bird fly! I want jump off the roof!” My 3-year-old mind believed this totally. I stamped my tiny shoe. I had made up my mind and I was ready to take action.  My mom had discovered some old feather dusters as she…

Checking Up on My Heart’s Health

“The heart really is an amazing machine,” the technician mused in the dim examination room.  I was shirtless on the sterile white bed with seven wires attached to my chest. The wires were connected to a sonogram, which had a screen showing black-and-white images of my…

The Zeego Tales: Naming the Hurricane

“The Zeego Tales” track the wonders of my new life with my service dog, Zeego. “Hurricane Barry” sounded innocent enough — more like a goofy uncle than a scary predator. After making landfall in Louisiana, the hurricane was renamed a tropical storm, which is what reached my…