Fighting FA — Frankie Perazzola

Frankie lives with Friedreich’s ataxia in the city of Los Angeles, California. She writes about her life experiences as an independent 28-year-old woman dealing with rare neuromuscular disease. Frankie focuses on utilizing physical fitness and writing for Bionews as her main coping mechanisms for FA. Through her column, “Fighting FA,” she helps others with internal growth and self-acceptance.
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I’ve Found Protein Powder Helpful in Managing My Daily Diet

Protein is necessary for the human body to stay healthy and function properly, regardless of whether you work out or not. According to the American Council on Exercise, “Protein is the principal component of every cell in the body and is needed to build…

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Why I Choose to Participate in Clinical Trials

You can ask my entire family — they’ll tell you I was fully willing to participate in clinical trials from day one. I’m assuming it was a combination of the previous minimal research I had done before my diagnosis, being an adult (or being older because, let’s face it, 22 is…

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Call It FA-tigue

It’s not something a Red Bull or cup of coffee can fix. Pre-workout only goes so far. No matter what I do, it’s completely exhausting. After doing a load of laundry, I need to sit down and recover. And I mean, sit down for about 20 minutes to…

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My Perspectives on Mobility Devices: I Get Around

If you look at the walls in my house, they are riddled with fingerprints. When I am asked about my stage of progression and my mobility, I say that I am a tapper. I navigate through my house by tapping on the walls and furniture…

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A Page for Paige

Until recently, I genuinely thought I had a grasp on my life-shorting diagnosis. I lost that grip the moment I heard a fellow FARA Ambassador had suddenly passed away. Paige Myers was the most loving, sweetest, smartest person with a heart of pure gold. By no…

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Even in a Maddening Answer, a Sense of Relief

“Why can’t you help bring in the groceries?” “Are you that lazy?” “Are you that drunk, already?” “Why are you so tired all the time?” “Why do you always stay in your room?” I couldn’t bare not having the answers to these questions and…

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Life, Disease, and Renewed Hopes and Dreams

As a kid, I shared similar career aspirations as my friends ― astronaut, marine biologist and lawyer were my top three. With high hopes and a head stuck in the clouds to match, I was going to space to save Earth from a meteor, help all the endangered…


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