Kelly graduating her Masters in Ohio. OHIO, USA: AFTER BEING diagnosed with a progressive GENETIC DISEASE at just eighteen, following years of thinking she was CLUMSY, this woman is now showing others that a genetic condition doesn???t define your life - as she admits that life can still be fulfilling even in a wheelchair. Freelance contractor Kelly Barendt (26) from Ohio, USA, had always classed herself as ???clumsy???, but when she started struggling to walk while carrying a drink, holding onto railings and walking up tiered stands, Kelly became more aware of her struggle, which heightened her growing anxiety. Kelly started to avoid walking in front of people as it added to her nerves. As her walking grew worse, Kelly would often miss school when she knew there was going to be a school assembly which meant she needed to walk up the tiered stands. Kelly even saw a physical therapist to work on curing her clumsiness, which came to no avail. At just 18 years old, Kelly???s primary care physician referred her to a neurologist, and she was then diagnosed with Friedreich???s Ataxia (FA), a recessive genetic disease which gradually causes the loss of sensation in arms and legs and can impair speech over time. FA has limited Kelly???s life somewhat physically as she now uses a wheelchair for longer distances. However, despite her condition, Kelly has managed to complete a postgraduate course, studied abroad in Luxembourg for five months, and she now lives by herself, relishing her independence. When she was first diagnosed, Kelly feared that her life would no longer be hers to live, but after eight years of living with the disease, she hopes to show others that life can be just as fulfilling as ever before, regardless of their condition. MDWfeatures / Kelly Barendt
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