On any typical day at my middle school, the closer you were to the bench, the higher…
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.
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Articles by Matt Lafleur
Introversion as an Excuse
Sometimes I use my introversion as an excuse. It’s safe and secure; it’s familiar…
Finding Reasons to Stay Alive
Drowsily and with great effort, I hoisted the top half of my body upright in the…
I’m Burning but Not Burnt
There is something magnetic and almost hypnotic about a bonfire, I thought, as the unexpected snap…
Where the Heck Is Matt?
It doesn’t make sense, and I’ve given up trying to figure it out. It’s a…
Vacation Endings and Beginnings
Last in a series of reflections on a recent vacation to Turks and Caicos. Read previous…
A continuation of a series of reflections on a recent vacation to Turks and Caicos. In…
In this reflection on a vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands, I focus on time spent…
The Mother of Vacation Origins
In this reflection on a vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands, I discuss the purpose…
Reflections on My Vacation to Turks and Caicos: Traveling Ain’t So Easy Anymore, Thanks to FA
First in a series of reflections on a recent vacation to an amazing…