Name: Alicia Aragon Cabanas
Age: 46
Where do you call home? Talavera de la Reina (Toledo), Spain
Education/Career: Diploma in Social Work. Right now with the current situation we are living in, what you least think about is looking for work.
How long have you known you are living with FA? Everything started when I was 13 years old when my mother took me to the doctor because she compared me with my sisters and she noticed something strange; I fell a lot, I had difficulty walking in the dark, etc. I was referred to a doctor in Madrid who diagnosed me with FA.
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!
Alicia Aragon Cabanas
- Details
- Category: Meet the Community
Stephanie Magness
- Details
- Category: Meet the Community
Name: Stephanie Magness
Age: 39
Where do you call home? Santa Clarita, California
Education/Career: B.S. in Psychology; Minor in Religious Studies with a Concentration in Substance Abuse Treatment from Regent University (Not that I work in that field, lol).
How long have you known you are living with FA? I was misdiagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth in 1994 after my scoliosis was found during 7th grade P.E. screening at school. That was right before the Friedreich’s Ataxia gene was discovered. Every doctor I had just seemed to go along with the initial diagnosis until my progression made it clear there was something else going on. So 10 years later, I finally ended up in Dr. Perlman’s office at UCLA where genetic testing confirmed FA. I was 22.
Sandra Johnson
- Details
- Category: Meet the Community
Name: My name is Sandra Johnson!
Age: 56
Where do you call home? Scituate, Massachusetts
Education/Career: Graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. I now own an Antique Consignment Shop in the town I live in.
Who’s in your family? Happily married for 30 years with two adult children, a son that is 29 and a daughter that is 26.
Jeremy Cowart
- Details
- Category: Meet the Community
Name: Jeremy Cowart
Age: 43
Where do you call home? Franklin, TN
Education (degree(s): Graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Graphic Design.
Who do you live with? My wife and four children.
Corinne
- Details
- Category: Meet the Community
Name: Corinne
Age: 35
Where do you call home? Near the beautiful city of Lucerne, Switzerland
Education (degree(s): I did an apprenticeship as a businesswoman (in the office). After I did some further education in marketing, I quit my job and started to do what makes me happy – traveling.
Who do you live with? I live alone in an apartment.