Kendall Harvey is a wife and mother of two in Austin, Texas. She has been navigating life with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) since her diagnosis in 2013 at the age of 25. She worked in marketing before “retiring” to be a stay-at-home-mom. She is an optimistic warrior fighting for a better future free of FA. Until that day comes, she aspires to inspire others with her column by detailing personal life lessons about grit and grace. Kendall shares a message of hope despite disability.This week marks the seventh anniversary of writing for Friedreich’s Ataxia News under the banner of “My Darling Disability.” I’m humbled by the thought that my words have impacted even one life in the…
Read more
It’s no secret that I struggle both mentally and physically with the relentlessly progressive nature of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). Just when I think I’ve got the hang of coping with advancing symptoms…
Many have read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel “The Scarlet Letter,” but in case you haven’t, the main character, Hester, is forced to live her life as an outcast with the scarlet letter “A,” for “adulterer,”…
One of American poet Robert Frost’s famous quotes is, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” As I approach the ninth anniversary of my Friedreich’s…
I recently binged four seasons of the television series “The Handmaid’s Tale.” I will spare you my enthusiastically detailed summary except for this: The main character, June Osborne, is a prisoner in…
When you’re a parent of preschool-age children, there’s a large focus on teaching the concept of opposites. Big and small, nice and mean, wet and dry, strong and weak, happy and sad, and…
When you live under the banner of a degenerative disease such as Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), you become well acquainted with fear. You fear what your body has in store for you tomorrow, next…
Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is incredibly rare. So rare, in fact, that I’d never even heard of it before I was diagnosed with it in 2013. Getting that rare, 1-in-50,000-people diagnosis (given…
Life with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) can feel daunting as we face hardships, struggles, and countless tribulations. Most FA patients I know have a positive attitude and try to keep moving forward despite what…
I’m frequently asked, “What happened to you?” The person asking usually points at my walker. What they’re really asking is, “Why are you using a walker?” People don’t tend to think of an obvious…
Get regular updates to your inbox.
