From My KD Story: Kate Walker · · KappaDeltaSorority
“FA is so rare; there's only 15,000 people in the world that have it.”
On , Kate Walker, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Equifax, spoke about epidemiology during My KD Story: Kate Walker on KappaDeltaSorority.
In a September 2024 interview, Kate Walker discussed her experience living with Friedreich's ataxia (FA), a rare progressive neuromuscular disease she was diagnosed with at age 12. Walker stated that she became a full-time wheelchair user during her sophomore year of high school and noted that FA affects approximately 15,000 people worldwide. She said the diagnosis forced her to grow up quickly and taught her empathy, adding that she initially feared joining a sorority in college due to concerns about how others might perceive her disability. Walker described feeling welcomed when she first attended a Kappa Delta (KD) sorority event and said the organization helped her connect with others for fundraising efforts she had been involved in since high school. She encouraged other disabled individuals to remember they are not alone.