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.So much of living with a progressive, lifelong disease like Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is mentally processing and accepting the physical changes it brings. But with the widespread degeneration of my body and the…
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One of the most difficult parts of using a mobility aid is unavoidably revealing that I am “not normal.” Since becoming dependent on my walker, I feel like I’m constantly broadcasting my most…
Given all of the uncertainty and unpredictability in the world, it is fairly safe to say that nearly everyone has had moments of frustration, fear, and disappointment. Life in Texas is getting back to…
As my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptoms progress, I become increasingly dependent on assistance to walk and to generally function productively. When my symptoms first started, I was able to get by holding onto…
When I find myself talking about the hard part of battling Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), the word I use most is “relentless.” FA is a rare, genetic occurrence that causes our cells to betray…
In my humble, nonmedical opinion, adrenaline is an amazingly complicated feature of the human body. It always seems to have tricky and unpredictable effects on my ever-changing Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptoms. Here’s why I…
One of my favorite Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) quotes comes from Ron Bartek, co-founder and president of the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA). He said, “Acting alone, there is very little any of…
We’ve all heard the phrase “if these walls could talk.” We guess about the secret conversations that have taken place in a room and wonder what it would be like if the walls could…
They say there is no parenting handbook. There is no universal system or code that can set you up for foolproof success in raising your children to be confident and competent adults. As the…
I was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) on Aug. 19, 2013. Before that day, I had never even heard of FA, let alone expected to think about this progressive, degenerative, life-shortening disease…
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