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Nigel Davis was diagnosed with idiopathic spino-cerebellar ataxia (SCA with an unknown cause) at 17. He was able to manage his condition for some time, but after teaching for 19 years, he was forced to retire.

Will Martin is 27 and was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia whilst at secondary school. Will talks to us about how ataxia has isolated him from his peers, made him deflect from education and shares his crowdfunding goals for a new wheelchair.

Tallulah is 19 and has Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 2 (AOA2), one of the rarest forms of ataxia. It took a full decade to receive a diagnosis, and she’s already fundraising for ataxia research.

Laura Bishop is 25 and was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia ten years ago. Having dealt with the difficulty of facing the condition as a teenager and the trauma of two serious operations, Laura has come to terms with her ataxia, but is still fearful about what the future will hold…

Richard Brown was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia at 14. It had a devastating impact on what things he thought he could do in life. Here, Richard takes us through his thought process in becoming a parent with ataxia.

Nicola writes about her son Jordan, who has Friedreich’s ataxia, and her experiences as a parent of a child with the condition.

Frances was diagnosed with spino-cerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) in 2009 at 49. Her symptoms were worsening, but she didn’t want to believe anything was wrong. Frances tells us about acceptance, the changes she has had to make for her career and how she manages her symptoms.

Austin Fredericks was diagnosed with SCA in 2011. He’s a qualified electrician, has faced prejudice by people who assume he isn’t fit to work, and has even been taken to court for ‘drunk driving’ whilst sober.

Michelle Brown tells us about the many races she ran in very quick succession this autumn, in support of her father and fundraising for Ataxia UK.

Toyah Wordsworth discusses how volunteering and employment gave her the confidence to create her own business, and a board game to help younger people become further educated about disability.

Arran Eleanor Rigney started a company after learning of her ataxia diagnosis. She aims to help smaller businesses get noticed through her marketing skills, as well as employing her artistic talents to sell her exclusive range of Christmas cards to raise money for Ataxia UK.

A list of personal blogs, articles and thoughts that our Friends would like to share with the ataxia community.

Lisa Murphy, author of Theo’s Diary: The Observations of an Indulged Cat, tells us how writing has had a positive impact on her mental health.

It took almost ten years for Geoff Brown to receive his diagnosis; in that time he has become a wheelchair user and almost entirely lost his sight. Nevertheless, Geoff is still intending to follow his dreams.

Richard Brown talks about crowdfunding for his own trike, taking his needs into his own hands.

A unique group of co-authors who have two things in common: the ability to write historical, heartfelt horror, and the desire to fundraise towards finding a cure for FA.

Toyah Wordsworth discusses how volunteering and employment gave her the confidence to create her own business, and a board game to help younger people become further educated about disability.

To kick off our Friend’s blog is our regular contributor to the Ataxia Magazine, Matthew Law. Matthew writes a series on advice and adaptations, and here is one of his first articles for what was then The Ataxian in 2013.

Continuing Matthew Law’s series on Adapting to Life advice series, here is his article from the 2013 Summer issue of the Ataxia Magazine.

Matthew Law tells us about his wheelchair (2013) and what a difference it made to his life after retirement.

We are delighted to share with you this creative, yet thought-provoking ataxia poem, courtesy of Ruth Chalkley.