My Darling Disability - a Column by Kendall Harvey

Since Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) entered my life in 2013, I have spent a lot of time blaming it for getting in the way of the life I had planned. I would no longer be able to be the fun mom who did cannonball contests with her kids, or…

Life is made up of moments — big and small, good and bad, expected and unexpected. Some argue that life is defined by the big moments, while others say it is defined by the little ones. I believe that character is revealed through our reactions to all of these moments,…

Since my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) diagnosis in 2013, I have chosen to openly share my journey with this progressive, degenerative disease. I share updates about both the physical and emotional changes in my daily life as dictated by FA, on social media, in columns, in text threads, and in…

Last weekend, a situation I dread as a mobility aid-dependent person happened: I drove to a store to run a quick errand, and when I opened the back of my SUV, my walker wasn’t there. It had been a busy Easter weekend with my family, filled with egg hunts, play…

Parenting is such a roller coaster. It can thrill and fulfill you, and in the same breath, overwhelm and scare you. Life with kids is full of precious, proud, and funny moments preceded or followed by moments of doubt, worry, research, and planning. It is bittersweet watching your children grow.

Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) changed every aspect of me — the emotional, the physical, the spiritual, and even my personality. Pre-FA Kendall was very different from FA Kendall. I can categorize my friends into those who knew me before my diagnosis and those who met me after. I am blessed to…

I am blessed to be Mom to my 6-year-old son, Brooks, and my 3-year-old daughter, Collins. I am also disabled. I use a walker because my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptoms have progressed to the point that I can’t walk unassisted. The other day, while Brooks and Collins were playing…

I love springtime in Texas, and all that comes with it: baseball season, wildflowers, rodeo season, longer days, warmer sunshine, home projects, live music at local restaurants, and more. Everything feels happier and more vibrant. This year, springtime feels different. We had a historic and catastrophic snowstorm at the end…

I recently heard an interview with a local high school principal about the message he is sharing with his staff and students during these unprecedentedly hard times of COVID-19. In response to the pandemic, he said we can either “rise and whine or rise and shine.” How profound and…

The most unexpectedly disruptive symptom of my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) has been fatigue. When I was diagnosed with FA in 2013, my initial research focused on the big symptoms, such as loss of balance and coordination, heart failure, loss of speech, and severe scoliosis. I read the word “fatigue”…