Almost everyone can point to moments in their lives dictated by the choice: fight or flight. By definition, the fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) patients have to choose to fight every single day.
My Darling Disability
— Kendall Harvey
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.
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Since making the transition last year to primarily using a wheelchair, I am often asked why. Over the years, I’ve developed three types of “elevator pitches” to answer questions about my health and dependence on mobility aids. My answers vary depending in part on how much time I have, who’s…
Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a big, overwhelming disease. And with it being so rare, it can feel very isolating. My immediate family and I had never even heard of FA until my diagnosis in 2013. When we started telling family and friends about this disease, my aunt remembered seeing a…
As my Friedreich’s ataxia symptoms progress, so do my feelings and emotions about this complex disease. When diagnosed, I accepted it pretty quickly. I obviously knew that something was wrong with me, so defining it helped validate what was happening to my body. Don’t get me wrong, in my younger…
When I met my husband Kyle in high school at the age of 16, everything was perfect. We were perfect. We were madly in love with limitless possibilities ahead of us. The world was our oyster and we couldn’t wait to “grow up” and start living. We got engaged in…
When diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) at the age of 25, I was devastated. I thought I would have really poor quality of life and that all of the plans I had for my future would be impossible. One of the biggest emotional topics was parenthood. I thought that having…
My name is Kendall and I was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) at the age of 25. I grew up in Katy, Texas, where my childhood was quite happy. I was always very active, participating in cheerleading, the swim team, volleyball, softball, track, and any other sport I could find to join.
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