My mum or dad has ataxia

My dad suffers from Friedreich's ataxia. We have a family of five, my mum, dad, older sister, younger brother and me. I think our family is perfect.

Yes, we have arguments from time to time but what functional family doesn’t? All a father has to do is love.

My dad does more than that, he has supported me and the rest of the family and cared for us all our lives. He is the most reliable man I know. I don't think there is anything an able bodied father can do that a wheelchair bound dad can't.

This is a tribute to my dad because he could not do more for me as a father even if he could walk. He is a model dad and to me the best in the world.
Hannah

For me, mum is just mum ... I don’t really notice the wheelchair! When I was little, having a mum in a wheelchair was excellent, she was the same height as me, we got to skip the queues at theme parks, it even made me a bit of a celeb at school as everyone thought my mum was ‘well cool’. But at the same time my friends ignored the wheelchair and saw her for her.

She’s just like any other mum, she shouts and nags just like normal … just with a couple of extra wheels and a higher demand for cups of tea. Having mum and dad at home every day when I get home from school is another great advantage which most of my friends miss out on! So I see myself as quite lucky really!
Jade

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My mum or dad has ataxia