Here is the story of how I told family, friends and complete strangers that I have Friedreich’s Ataxia…

When I was diagnosed 11 years ago, my mother & father’s reaction was chaos. They researched as much about FA as they could and grasped for anything that could possibly help me live a “normal life.” But days turned into months, which turned into years and here I still am with FA which is progressively getting worse. So since there is no immediate concern it was replaced with “How are you doing?” once or twice a year. I have a large family so any questions about me were immediately directed towards my dad, so I never had the opportunity to inform them myself. I honestly believe that a few of my family members don’t even know what FA stands for or what it involves.

Telling my friends was difficult and to some quite easy. Difficult because some friends I told became distant to the point that we don’t converse anymore. I guess it was hard to deal with the facts and details of FA. But my “true” friends have stuck by me no matter what, and treat me like a person and not a disease. They ask questions and want to know details. They are my family. Social networking sites such as Facebook have really allowed me to inform everyone, to educate and have an understanding.

Last week FARA was notified of an opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion about the US budget sequestration with Senator Bob Casey. Senator Casey has made it one of his top priorities to advocate for maximum National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for medical research so that NIH funding does not suffer (as much) from the sequestration process.

Elected officials are approached on a daily basis with statistics and pretty graphs that illustrate trends supporting all kinds of issues. However we were told today that it is the stories from individuals that people remember and work wonders in Washington. To that end, Senator Casey and his staff held this roundtable discussion to collect stories of the individuals who will be affected by NIH budget cuts so he can use the stories when he is fighting for these issues in Washington.

It’s probably pretty obvious that my life has not completely turned out how I hoped and dreamed it would, but really, who can say their life has traveled this journey exactly how they thought it should?

Before 1994 there wasn’t any indication that my life wasn’t going to read like the most perfect fairy-tale ever. Why shouldn’t it have? I had a great childhood filled with a wonderful family and good friends. Of course hindsight is always 20/20, and there were small, subtle signs pointing to a different kind of life. But nothing to make me, or anyone else, think the fairy-tale ending might crash and burn with a scoliosis diagnosis during a P.E. screening in 7th grade. That’s how it all started, a routine exam in the gym locker room a few months before my thirteenth birthday suddenly morphed into a day I will never forget. Next stop was my pediatrician who pointed out what my parents had already begun to fear…there was something a lot more serious going on to cause my spine to twist into an “S” so quickly that no one had noticed it. The word “neurologic” must have been spoken in that room because a few trips to a couple different neurologists came next.

Dear readers,

My first poem was one I wrote in kindergarten about fireflies. As an adult, I am still writing, although my subject matter has evolved beyond insects! I am truly in love with words and with weaving them together to create beauty, appreciation, poignancy, and depth. I do not write for myself; I find peace and value in sharing my love of words with others. Most of my poetry is about my family, and I have actually never previously written about FA. The experience, in itself, was beautiful, in that the words poured from me. Even though FA makes typing difficult, I will not stop sharing. Please enjoy!

Robbi