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.This week marks the seventh anniversary of writing for Friedreich’s Ataxia News under the banner of “My Darling Disability.” I’m humbled by the thought that my words have impacted even one life in the…
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When I’m frustrated about my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) disabilities, life has a cruel tendency to remind me how very not “normal” I am. I continually find myself in circumstances that highlight my problems…
Most people know the Jackie DeShannon song that goes, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love/ It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” While I can think…
Life with a progressively degenerative neurological disease like Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a lot to handle. Not only is it incredibly frustrating and heartbreaking physically, but it is also relentlessly emotionally draining. In…
It’s so easy to get down about the daily struggle of becoming progressively more disabled. Every single day, more of my abilities and independence slip away, and I rely more heavily on my…
As we approached the end of 2023, I didn’t feel like myself. I was overwhelmed by most things in my life, and I constantly felt inadequate. That made it easy for me to retreat,…
Actor and activist Michael J. Fox, 62, has been publicly battling Parkinson’s disease since 1998. Although Parkinson’s and my diagnosis of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) are very different, they are both…
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…
As a mother of two young children, I have a lot of discussions about what’s fair. My son will whine about how “unfair” it is that his sister gets to watch a movie…
The decade that I’ve been living with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) has been full of unanticipated highs and lows. It has also been full of chaos, monotony, blood, sweat, tears, laughter, praying,…
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