From Where I Sit: My Life and Struggles with Friedreich's Ataxia

Jamie Lynn Cusick is a thirty-one year old woman who was diagnosed with Friedreich's Ataxia as a child. She has been in a wheelchair since age 11. She resides in Maryland with her parents. It has been Jamie's long-time desire to share some of her experiences growing up while learning to live with Friedreich's. This is her life. Friedreich's Ataxia is a neurological disorder that causes damage to the peripheral nerves which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and relay sensations to the brain and spinal cord from the rest of the body; damage to the cerebellum, a part of the brain that helps coordinate movements; damage to the heart. At this time, there is no treatment or cure for Friedreich's Ataxia.