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…
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Since my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) diagnosis in 2013, I have chosen to openly share my journey with this progressive, degenerative disease. I share updates about both the physical and emotional changes in my…
Last weekend, a situation I dread as a mobility aid-dependent person happened: I drove to a store to run a quick errand, and when I opened the back of my SUV, my walker wasn’t…
Parenting is such a roller coaster. It can thrill and fulfill you, and in the same breath, overwhelm and scare you. Life with kids is full of precious, proud, and funny moments preceded or…
Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) changed every aspect of me — the emotional, the physical, the spiritual, and even my personality. Pre-FA Kendall was very different from FA Kendall. I can categorize my friends into those…
I am blessed to be Mom to my 6-year-old son, Brooks, and my 3-year-old daughter, Collins. I am also disabled. I use a walker because my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptoms have progressed to…
I love springtime in Texas, and all that comes with it: baseball season, wildflowers, rodeo season, longer days, warmer sunshine, home projects, live music at local restaurants, and more. Everything feels happier and more…
I recently heard an interview with a local high school principal about the message he is sharing with his staff and students during these unprecedentedly hard times of COVID-19. In response to the…
The most unexpectedly disruptive symptom of my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) has been fatigue. When I was diagnosed with FA in 2013, my initial research focused on the big symptoms, such as loss of balance…
Now and then, I will have a “quiet spell” with my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). I will notice that I haven’t fallen in a while. I haven’t noticed any new problematic symptoms develop. I will…
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