Although biology is a fairly standard requirement in the American educational system, and genetics is a frequently covered topic in biology, I’m realizing how little understanding most of us have about it. I was blissfully unaware of how little I’d retained from my adolescent studies until I had to try…
My Darling Disability
— Kendall Harvey
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.
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My family, including my parents, recently took a grand vacation. We started in West Yellowstone in Montana, where we watched a juvenile black bear hunt a squirrel, swim across a river, dig for grubs in a downed tree, and relax in the sun. We also saw waterfalls, canyons, thermal pools,…
Living with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) has created for me a complex relationship with the concept of help. I believe it’s important for everyone — not just people with disabilities — to humbly and graciously learn how to ask for and accept help. Fortunately (and unfortunately), FA rewrote the…
One of my favorite aspects of motherhood is getting a glimpse of the way young children experience the world around them by hearing their observations and fielding their questions. As the mom of two active, social, and athletic kids — a 5-year-old daughter, Collins, and an 8-year-old…
About three years after my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) diagnosis, the symptoms started to interfere with my productivity and safety. I acquired a disability parking placard and used it only when there were a lot of open accessible spots. One day, I was out running errands with my son,…
I think just about everyone has been told at some point in their lives to be grateful for what they have, to not wish the day away, and that people always want what they don’t have. On the other hand, we are also told that we were meant for more,…
When I was a 25-year-old newlywed thinking about starting a family, the words “you have Friedreich’s ataxia” seemed like the worst life sentence imaginable, which would be followed by a painful and premature end. I was devastated. Now that I’ve lived with a Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) diagnosis for…
In 2006, when I was an 18-year-old senior in high school, I went skiing with my boyfriend, Kyle, and his family in Telluride, Colorado. While we were there, Kyle and I talked about how fun it would be to take our hypothetical kids skiing one day. For as long as…
My love language has always been words of affirmation. When someone gives me a genuine compliment or a little bit of encouragement, it has the power to change my mood and affect my whole day. Niceties lighten my load and put a spring in my step! On the other…
On Feb. 25, I attended the Fearless Mom conference at Lake Hills Church in Austin, Texas. There, I heard from Andy Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of “The Traveler’s Gift,” “The Noticer,” and more. He said, “Perspective is how you choose to see things.
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