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.
People often speak about the strength it must take to be a young person living with a progressive neurological disease. While I was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) at age 25 and have…
At first, I resented having Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) because it hasn’t allowed me to be the mom I always imagined I would be. Now that I have a couple of years…
Describing a progressive genetic disease like Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is difficult. It has a wide range of symptoms, most of which are unique to FA and not easily understood unless you have…
I grew up in a church-going family that was always involved in ministry. We spent at least three days a week at church. I had a sound knowledge of Christianity, the Bible,…
Third and final in a series. In a previous column, I discussed the tests I underwent to diagnose Friedreich’s ataxia. “Kendall, I was afraid that this might be the case: You…
Second in a series. In a previous column, I discussed my active childhood and early signs that something wasn’t right. As the evidence began to pile up, I started to accept…
First in a series. From the time we are toddlers, we start dreaming about the future. We want to be firefighters, teachers, rock stars, race car drivers, or in my case, a…
I recently began participating in a 48-week, Phase 2 clinical trial for Friedreich’s ataxia. The way I understand it, the study’s investigational treatment is designed to make the cells in my body…