Kelly Barendt always felt clumsy.
She struggled to walk while carrying a drink, she held onto railings for fear of falling and she would often trip while walking through tiered stands.
Barendt tried exercises and saw a physical therapist to work on curing her clumsiness, but nothing seemed to help.
When she was 18, her primary care physician in Strongsville, Ohio, referred her to a neurologist, who determined that she wasn't clumsy at all.
Barendt was actually suffering from a rare genetic disease called Friedreich's Ataxia, which gradually causes the loss of sensation in arms and legs and can impair speech over time.
Now 26, after eight years of living with the disease, Barendt says she hopes to show others that life can be just as fulfilling, regardless of their condition.
Kelly Barendt, 26 (left and right), from Strongsville, Ohio, referred to herself as clumsy for years. She struggled to walk while carrying a drink and held onto railings for fear of falling
Barendt (pictured) even saw a physical therapist to work on curing her clumsiness, but no exercise seemed to help
'I was very clumsy in school, and it became even worse in later years,' Barendt said.
'Anxiety hit me every time we had an event in the school gym because I was terrified of the stands outside.'
She said she would tightly grasp the railing when going down stairs because she feared falling, and she would avoid walking if holding a glass of water or a cup of coffee.
'I'm sure my parents and friends noticed it more than me but, since I wasn't able to watch myself, I only know what made me nervous and what gave me trouble,' Barendt said.
The teen tried physical therapy for her clumsiness, but it didn't seem to help.
That's when her primary care physician referred her to a neurologist who, after running several tests, determined Barendt had Friedreich's Ataxia (FA).
FA is a rare genetic disease that affects the nervous system and causes a progressive loss of movement.
Peripheral nerves, which carry signals between the brain and the body, degenerate overtime as do nerve fibers in the spinal cord.
Symptoms typically emerge between ages five and 15, and include difficulty walking, poor balance, slurring speech and muscle weakness.
