Candy Shell Life – a Column by Lauryn Smith

July 6, 2020July 31, 2020

Reflections on the Joys of Parenting an FA Teen

Candy Shell Life - a Column by Lauryn Smith, Columns

It’s been a while since I have had the courage to write a column. I don’t want to seem melodramatic, but the vulnerability of sharing about parenting a child ... Read more

March 2, 2020February 27, 2020

Hope for a Friedreich’s Ataxia Cure Keeps Fear of the Future at Bay

Candy Shell Life - a Column by Lauryn Smith, Columns

When my children were born, I had an irrational fear that something bad would happen to me, and I wouldn’t be here to take care of them. As they ... Read more

December 9, 2019December 5, 2019

I’ve Gone Through the Five Stages of Grief as an FA Parent

Candy Shell Life - a Column by Lauryn Smith, Columns

According to authors Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler, people go through five stages of grief after losing a loved one or experiencing a catastrophic life event. The stages are ... Read more

September 23, 2019September 25, 2019

FA Makes The Teenage Years Heartbreakingly Difficult

Candy Shell Life - a Column by Lauryn Smith, Columns

Junior high school was one of the hardest times of my life. Now that my children are at a similar life stage, I recognize that they are struggling, too. ... Read more

August 19, 2019September 4, 2019

We Adjusted Our Daughter’s School Accommodations to Meet Her Changing Needs

Candy Shell Life - a Column by Lauryn Smith, Columns

One of the first things we did when we learned of our daughter’s Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) diagnosis was to make sure she had all the accommodations she needed in ... Read more

June 3, 2019May 30, 2019

We’re Learning to Adjust to Our New Normal

Candy Shell Life - a Column by Lauryn Smith, Columns

Our family has the good fortune to spend summers at a beautiful lake in central Alabama. For the past nine years, my in-laws have had a summer home and ... Read more

April 29, 2019April 25, 2019

Welcome to a ‘Candy Shell Life’

Candy Shell Life - a Column by Lauryn Smith, Columns

“I can tell that you are really strong and that you can take it,” she said. “So I’m going to tell you like it is.” This is the first ... Read more

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