Jean Walsh hails from Massachusetts. You will find a mental health perspective in her writing, reflecting her two mental health graduate degrees. She has years of work experience, the most pertinent being her experience as a grant writer. Jean was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) when she was 19, and has been an avid FA volunteer since. She is 40 years into her journey with FA and so has a lot of experience to share with her shared FA, rare, and chronic disease communities.
Saturday, Sept. 21, was a sloppy one. Skies were gray and rain poured down, but there were lots of smiles to go around. It wasn’t an ideal day for the Race for Matt and Grace, a 5K run…
Read more
The other day I decided to try watercolor painting again. That may sound like an extremely frustrating activity for someone who signs their name like a 5-year-old. No offense to 5-year-olds. Poor motor skills are one of the…
A while ago, a friend of mine with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a disease I also have, told me that she only plans one activity a day. That sounded like sage advice, but it was advice I haven’t been…
I recently returned from a fun vacation with my husband, Dave, and two friends at the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. We saw a lot, ate a lot, and laughed a lot. At this moment, my quality of life…
Imagine standing on top of Mount Everest screaming “Help!,” but the wind is so fierce that your words blow back and no one hears you. Could people do anything if they did? That’s what being diagnosed with my…
Today I fell getting out of bed and into my wheelchair. Don’t worry, reader, I didn’t get hurt. It was a slow-motion fall. However, I was then stuck on the floor. Finally, after an hour of trying to get…
I am often asked a familiar but bothersome question: “What do you do all day?” When I hear this question, I instantly feel abysmal. It has never been asked with any intention of making me feel flawed, but it…
One thing I am, because I want to be, is a gardener. I love the feel of warm soil in my hands, the smell of jasmine, the beauty of a big peony bloom, and more. I’m also a…
Visit the Friedreich’s Ataxia News forums to connect with others in the FA community.
Get regular updates to your inbox.
