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welcome to team kendall
My name is Kendall Harvey and I have Friedreich's Ataxia (FA). Ever heard of it? Neither had I, not until I was diagnosed with it at the age of 25. Team Kendall, Our mission is to share hope, raise awareness, and contribute to the efforts to CURE FRIEDREICHS ATAXIA!
A SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY OF FA:
Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a rare recessive neuromuscular genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the central nervous system, resulting in a wide variety of symptoms, including gait disturbance, slowed and slurred speech, decreased dexterity, heart disease, scoliosis, and diabetes.
FA is debilitating, degenerative, and life-shortening. It is estimated that around 5,000 people in the United States have FA. There is currently no treatment or cure for FA. Learn more on the About FA page.
WHAT FA LOOKS LIKE FOR ME:
I was a completely normal and healthy baby, child and young adult. When I started experiencing unexplained balance issues, I sought medical answers, which led to a Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) diagnosis.
In the years since the onset of FA, my symptoms have progressed. Walking is hard and unsafe for me, so I use a walker to keep me from falling. My speech is slower and a bit slurred, and my upper body dexterity is declining. I also battle chronic fatigue.
Despite FA, I live as “normal” a life as I can. I am a wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, writer and most importantly, I am a child of God. Life as all of these might look different than I imagined, but I am honored to hold each title and do my very best to fulfill my roles. I absolutely love life, even with FA.
