Name: Jacob Thompson
Age: 28
Where do you call home? Minneapolis, Minnesota
Education (degree(s): How will FA add to your future [career]?: B.S. in ESL education and M.A. in Ministry from Bethel Seminary - FA influences my career as a minister, author, speaker, and recording artist. It allows me to empathize with those who are suffering and motivates me to raise awareness and resources for FA and other rare diseases.
Who do you live with? I am married to my amazing, beautiful wife, Abigail Thompson. We have two boys: Titus - 2 years and Griffin - 8 months.
What's typical day for you? I work as the Pastor of Student Ministries at City Church in Minneapolis. I run programs to mentor the teens and coach basketball. Meanwhile I work on writing, speaking, and recording music and spoken word poetry. I try to stay active and I ride my Catrike 700 as much as possible. I love spending time with my wife and children, family, and friends.
Meet the Community
You are not alone. The entire FA community, also known as the FAmily, is taking this journey with you. Meet a few of our dynamic people with FA below. New Meet the Community interviews are posted every Monday, so be sure to visit often. Please e-mail
FARA Ambassadors
The FARA Ambassadors are a group of people living with FA who are committed to supporting FARA in the search for a treatment and cure. They represent the community by speaking at events, meeting pharmaceutical partners, giving media interviews, and more.
Meet the FAmily!
Jacob Thompson
- Details
- Category: Meet the Community
Angelina Ritschel
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- Category: Meet the Community
Name: Angelina Ritschel
Age: 19
Where do you call home? Delaware
Education (degree(s): How will FA add to your future [career]?: I've graduated high school and am working on getting my bachelor's in philosophy and criminal justice. I do have a minor in French too, but I don't think they give a degree for that. I hope to attend graduate school and maybe get a PhD after that, but I don't know if I want to do more schoolwork. I think FA will get in the way of my future career, as it does now during school, but I'll figure that out when the future career comes closer.
Who do you live with? I live in a dorm with live-ins.
What's typical day for you? When I'm on campus, I wake up usually an hour before I leave for class. I eat, make tea, brush my teeth, use mouthwash, get dressed, and go to class. After class I eat lunch and watch Netflix; sometimes I do homework in-between and then go to my last class. After, it's the usual: eat, do homework, get a shower, then sleep. For when I'm home, I wake up (usually around lunchtime), eat, watch Netflix, maybe get in the pool, eat, shower, sleep.
Molly Lawson
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- Category: Meet the Community
Name: Molly Lawson
Age: 25
Where do you call home? Arizona
Education (degree(s): How will FA add to your future [career]?: I graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Human and Family Development and a Masters of Social Work in 2020. FA has impacted my career choice because it narrowed the jobs I was capable of performing. Fortunately, I’ve always wanted to be a social worker.
Who do you live with? Up until recently, I lived independently. However, a few months ago, my mom moved into my apartment.
What's typical day for you? It really depends on the day. But typically I wake up at 6 AM, and my caregiver helps me get ready for the day. From there, I drive to work. (As a side note, I learned to drive in 2017 with the assistance and education from Driving to Independence. Shortly after that, I bought my own car. I have been driving with minimal restrictions ever since. I love driving!) After work, I might go to physical therapy or go see my friends. At the end of the day, my caregiver comes back and helps me get ready for bed.
Kristina Schaoni
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- Category: Meet the Community
Name: Kristina Schaoni
Age: 31
Where do you call home? Lübeck, Germany
Education (degree(s): How will FA add to your future [career]?: I have finished secondary school and after school I finished an education as a technical product designer. It’s been 7 years since I am not working, but working is my second goal for now.
Who do you live with? Right now I live with my mother and my brother but I have found an apartment and I will move as soon as I find assistants.
What's typical day for you? Most of my days are not similar.
Richard Brown
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- Category: Meet the Community
Name: Richard Brown, MBE
Age: 45
Where do you call home? I live in a sleepy little Oxfordshire village in the UK. My Wife and I grew up nearby but lived and worked in Oxford and Birmingham before we moved back in 2013.
Education (degree(s): How will FA add to your future [career]?: I have a BA Honors Degree in Modern History from Oxford Brookes University, not too bad for someone who left school at 16 with hardly any qualifications. I studied at home with the Open University to earn enough credit to go to a traditional university. I studied for a semester at the University of Rhode Island as part of my course and stayed after graduating to be an elected student representative. A full-time wheelchair user when I went to university, I think FA shaped the support I received, but it had more of an impact on my career path. I began a career in Local Government, originally focusing on disability, but later moving into other equality issues. It wasn’t until my last job, I moved into work that was not related to disability.
What is your relationship status? Who do you live with? I have been married for 19 years to Helen, but we were together 7 years before that. We have two kids, Bella (12) and Billy (7). We all live together.
What's typical day for you? I feel busier in retirement than I was when I was working full-time. I do lots of volunteering and help run several charities. There is always work to do for those. Sometimes I feel like I am just filling in the empty time until my family get back from work or school! My daily routine changed with the pandemic. I used to volunteer in a school a couple of days a week and travel regularly to London. Now, I don’t visit the school at all and have only been to London once since March 2020. I have been going to virtual meetings all around the world instead.