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.In my journey with progressive Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), I battle a wide array of symptoms. While increasingly poor balance seems to be my most disruptive and frustrating symptom, it’s not the one that keeps me up at night.
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From the minute I wake up each morning, my disability and limitations are in my face, demanding attention, adaptation, and adjustment. In other words, I’m not allowed a moment of bliss when I can forget that I have…
On Aug. 19, 2013, my world was turned upside down as my five-month diagnostic journey came to a shocking conclusion: I had Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a cruel, progressively degenerative genetic disease I’d never even heard of. Some…
Last weekend, I did something for the 10th time that I never imagined doing even once. I signed up Team Kendall for the annual fundraising event rideATAXIA in the hopes that I can contribute enough to tip the…
Scrolling through Instagram recently, I was left teary-eyed and introspective when I happened upon one particular reel. It features an oft-used voice-over of a sweet older woman talking, set to pictures and videos of precious moments with…
I have yet to find the secret to living a life where I wake up every morning rejuvenated, motivated, perfectly calibrated, and ready to tackle my day with gusto. I don’t think anyone has, but it’s especially difficult when…
When I was young and, frankly, naive, I had a lot of misconceptions about people with disabilities. I thought that the only people who used walkers were senior citizens or those recovering from leg injuries. I also thought that…
As I approach the 10th anniversary of my Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) diagnosis, I’m struck by an explosion of complicated and contradictory feelings. In August 2013, when I learned that the poor balance, fatigue, and slower speech I’d…
Summer is in full swing for my family. My daughter, Collins, 6, and my son, Brooks, 8, finished school the last week of May, and it’s been nonstop chaos ever since. With camps, trips, sports, tutoring, working, exercising, chores,…
Living in a disabled body in a predominantly able-bodied world is a rare experience that, frankly, I never anticipated having. Especially in my 30s. But thanks to my progressing Friedreich’s ataxia symptoms, it’s an existence I’m now, unfortunately,…
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