Transcription
"My name is Emiliy Baudin. I’m 26 years old. When I was 15 years old, my track coach noticed that I was running a little to the left and right. So I went to see a knee specialist. He noticed something a little off in my gait.
He referred me to a neurologist at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital. I underwent CT scans, MRIs, X-rays and 6 weeks later it came back of having Friedreich’s ataxia.
I was so in denial if I didn’t talk about it, it didn’t feel real. I thought it would just go away. I told no one.
After high school that’s when we went to a rideATAXIA event. From that day it changed my world. You have such a rare disease that you feel so small. But once you go to an event, it gets so big! I now embrace FA.
I love it when I get questions of, “Why are you in a wheelchair?” and so I love getting to share, it’s more awareness. My support system has gained exponentially over the years.
I have met the love of my life. He helps me transfer to the couch and back to my chair. He helps me on those really hard days where I am struggling a lot. We have a child together and we live life just like anyone that doesn’t have FA.
You can do all these things that other people without FA can. It’ll look different and that’s ok. It can still be great."
