Living a Fulfilling Life
My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis is your memoir and call to action for accessibility and inclusivity after receiving your diagnosis of Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA). Why was this an important book for you to write?
There are a few reasons, but I’ll stick to two:
I wanted to show a positive representation of living with a disability. For too long, it’s been described as a tragedy and something that needs to be fixed. But that is not always the case. Being disabled has its challenges, no doubt, but living a fulfilling life is possible.
Secondly, I wanted to show people going through similar things that they are not alone.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Some ideas include that the ability to walk does not equal happiness, and disabled people have value and are capable.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
The neurologist who diagnosed me told me not to let FA stop me from doing what I had planned with my life.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
Living a fulfilling life with a disability is possible, and don’t assume disabled people aren’t intelligent or capable to do a job.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Jennifer Gasner is seventeen when her dreams are shattered overnight.
Receiving a diagnosis of Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare genetic neuromuscular disease, means she must prepare herself for a life of loss. When she starts college, she can still walk on her own, but as her disease progresses, she spirals further into sadness, denial, and alienation. She turns to alcohol and a toxic relationship to distract her from what she refuses to accept—that her body, her self-esteem, and her hope for her future are failing.
When Jennifer develops a friendship with rock star Dave Matthews, her outlook changes. She begins to understand that using a wheelchair doesn’t mean her life is over. In fact, when she discovers disability culture, she realizes it’s not her body that needs to be fixed but her assumptions about being disabled.
In her captivating memoir, My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis, Jennifer invites you into her world, where she must learn to view her changing body with compassion and choose gratitude over anger as she finds strength and acceptance in a whole new way of moving through life.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/02/03/living-a-fulfilling-life/
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