Kate Walker0:02
So, I was diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia, or FA, in 2016 when I was 12, so I was just about going into high school, which is already a scary time. FA is a rare, progressive neuromuscular disease. So, essentially, you lose your balance and coordination over time, and I became a full-time wheelchair user when I was a sophomore in high school. FA is so rare. There's only 15,000 people in the world that have it. When I was first diagnosed and I was growing up with FA, and navigating the world with FA, I didn't have anybody to look at like that. Everybody that was on social media and had FA or similar diseases was older, like adults. And I was looking for someone that was like going through high school. FA has taught me so much. It made me have to grow up from a very young age because I was exposed to uncomfortable conversations with doctors, and my reality was very different than what I thought it would be. I also just learned to have so much empathy for people, to treat everyone with kindness and never assume anything and try to give people the same kindness they gave me when I was first diagnosed, no matter what they're going through. When I was going to college, I was like, I don't want to do a sorority. I was disabled; I was afraid of people making assumptions or being closed off to me. And then my family and my friends talked me into it. I don't know if I'm going to bid anything or pledge anything, but I'll just go and meet some people at the least. The first time I came to KD, when I came in the door, I just immediately felt welcome, and I remember leaving KD, and I cried in my car because I was like, 'They were so nice and so genuine.' And it was from that moment I knew I was going to go KD. A lot of the fundraisers that I do now, I've always done, even in high school, but I have made so many connections through KD. I think KD has made it super easy for me to do those things just because of the connections I've made, not only in my chapter, but also the alumnae. One thing I want, if there's any disabled people watching this to know is just that you're not alone, and that it can feel super isolating, especially when you're first diagnosed or first injured or whatever it may be. It can feel very isolating, and you can feel alone, but it's important to remember that you're not.
