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Why is it so hard for some people to recognize that people with a disability are human as well, with the same needs and wants we all have? I have seen a lot of nonverbal people with a disability treated as if they are mentally incapacitated when they…

Its been a while since I have written for my column, and I apologize for the inconsistency to those of you who pay attention to “Fighting FA.” I had to take a break from writing for such a public audience because, to be honest, I just needed some…

When I met my husband Kyle in high school at the age of 16, everything was perfect. We were perfect. We were madly in love with limitless possibilities ahead of us. The world was our oyster and we couldn’t wait to “grow up” and start living. We got engaged in…

When I was younger, I just wanted to be healthy and able-bodied. When I went to sleep, I always dreamed of myself as walking; I never saw my wheelchair in my dreams. And when I was awake, I constantly imagined a future for myself in which my disability was no…

When diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) at the age of 25, I was devastated. I thought I would have really poor quality of life and that all of the plans I had for my future would be impossible. One of the biggest emotional topics was parenthood. I thought that having…

Growing up with a rare condition, I always relied on doctors and specialists to know how best to deal with my troubling body. Like most people, I left it to someone else to decide what I needed to do in order to feel better. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had…

My name is Kendall and I was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) at the age of 25. I grew up in Katy, Texas, where my childhood was quite happy. I was always very active, participating in cheerleading, the swim team, volleyball, softball, track, and any other sport I could find to join.

Last year, my eyes were opened to high-needs disabilities when I moved out of my home and into a shared living situation with in-home care around-the-clock. It became obvious to me over time how difficult it was for the other residents to get around in public spaces. You see, in…

For those of us with FA or any other disability, overcoming adversity is part of our daily lives, to the point where we don’t even notice it anymore. There is a trick to embracing adversity, for turning life’s greatest challenges into some of life’s greatest opportunities, and it doesn’t come…

  Happy New Year to all of you! I hope 2018 has been treating you well so far and that you’re working toward your new set of goals (or existing ones). One of my goals every year, much like many of my peers, is to raise awareness for…

I was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) as an 11-year-old. When I was about 15 or 16, the reality of my diagnosis hit me and I found myself struggling to cope with it. As far as I was concerned, my life was never going to amount to anything worthwhile because…

With the year coming to an end and Christmas coming faster than ever, I’ve become more reflective on what memories 2017 holds. Every year, I find myself saying, “Wow, I never thought I’d be here.” And yet, here I am again, repeating that tradition. 2017 was filled with…