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I’m no stranger to this question, but I wasn’t the one who posed it recently. Ever since I was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) in childhood, I’ve dealt with its progressively disabling symptoms, including the transition from awkwardness to quitting sports to using a wheelchair — all during puberty.

Dear 2013 Kendall, Your world was just rocked and turned upside down. I know you feel like your future is an impossibility now that Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) has clouded your blue skies. I am here to tell you that yes, that future is gone. But it doesn’t mean you have…

I pride myself on getting a lot done and being a productive individual. Although I enjoy some downtime here and there, I often feel pressure from my unfinished tasks or my never-ending to-do list. That pressure makes it hard for me to watch TV, especially a series I can…

While Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a physical disease that happens to my body, I have noticed that my physical symptoms affect my mental outlook on life. I have always been the type of person that is part of the action. Whether I am the mastermind behind planning the fun or…

Tonight’s the big night. He’s been preparing for this moment for a long time. He will win. He has to. In about half an hour, I’d watch Damon Vincent’s first professional MMA fight. I’m not a big mixed martial arts fan. (I figure if I want to watch belligerent…

As the Fourth of July approaches, I’m thinking about the word “independence” a lot. At 32, my independence looks different than I’d once imagined. As a Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) patient, my body is progressively losing so many abilities. Most noticeable and problematic is my degenerating coordination and balance.

Today at work I participated in a meeting, which was really just a gathering of co-workers for the purpose of connecting and visiting with one another for a couple hours. We all worked through a version of an icebreaker activity commonly referred to as “Rose, Thorn, and Bud.” In…

As a Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) patient well along in my symptom progression, I have a strained and emotional relationship with my mobility. Over the last three or so years, that same internal struggle has extended to my mobility aid. I am lucky that I lived a wonderfully carefree and…

Research into my rare disorder, Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), seems to me to be on the rise. Though no specific treatments for FA exist, a wide range of ongoing studies is exploring different ways of treating this debilitating disease. It seems that scientists increasingly are taking an interest in FA.

Welcome! Pull up a chair and pour yourself a glass of something nice and refreshing. You deserve some time to rest and reflect on what you need today. As a caregiver to a son with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), my constant desire is to find ways to be helpful to him…

Life with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) requires constant adjustment and acceptance. I have to adjust to new symptoms regularly, whether they are temporary, like extra fatigue during a particularly busy season, or permanent, like the frustrating decrease in my walking speed. I have to adjust to safely accommodate these new…

Life is more fragile than I sometimes realize. This is true for everyone, rare disease or not. Most days, I feel invincible and think about the next 40 years of my life. On other days, I recognize that I may not lap the four-decade mark again. I know the prognosis…