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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Part of the personal process of accepting my Friedreich’s ataxia diagnosis was deciding to do something proactive to try to secure a better, disease-free future for my fellow FA patients. An integral part…
I’m always alarmed when I notice the progression of my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptoms, which highlight the harsh reality of my progressive neurological disease. Recently we got a new puppy, and training her…
One of the harsh realities of life with Friedreich’s ataxia is falling. That was my first major symptom and a red flag. I knew something was wrong because I was falling more than I…
I was an athlete until my mid-20s. I swam competitively for 14 years and was a cheerleader, a volleyball player, and an avid runner. My involvement in organized sports ended with my formal schooling.
Christmas is always my favorite time of year. The holiday season is a busy time filled with traditions, but in my memories, December is a magical month full of joy. It’s hard not to…
As a Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) patient, I use a walker 95 percent of the time. FA interferes with my balance and coordination, so my walker prevents falls by providing something stable to hold…
I wear many hats: I’m a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, writer, etc. The most exhausting, constant, and thankless hat I don is that of Friedreichs ataxia (FA) patient. This hat is too…
Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a heavy diagnosis. It is a relentlessly cruel progressive disease without a treatment or cure. It’s a lot to process and handle, challenging my worldview and self-worth daily,…
As a mom, I am obviously around kids all the time. But not just my own. I am around kids when I take my children to school, T-ball, church, play dates, restaurants with playgrounds,…
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