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.Before my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptoms began, I was a healthy young adult with active hobbies, big plans, and an extroverted lifestyle. Now, after more than a decade with FA, I’ve seen so much change and many…
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When I was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), my greatest worry was how it would affect my future. What would living with a disability look like? What would FA add to my future? What would it take…
In my experience, much of what it takes to be a mother is the opposite of what’s required to live with a disability. As a mom, I constantly pour my all into my family. I manage the calendar…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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