Woman who thought she was clumsy is diagnosed with degenerative condition and ...

Madelyn Frederick was always known as the 'clumsy' member of her family.

She thought it was nothing more than a lack of balance that left her constantly stumbles and unable to ride a bike. 

But at 13 years old, after she was rushed to the hospital in her hometown of Dallas, Texas, with a higher than normal heart rate, further tests determined that she wasn't clumsy at all. 

In fact, doctors told her she 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.

Frederick has gone from being able to walk with minor balance issues to needing to use a walker around the house and a wheelchair when she goes out. 

The 20-year-old was worried that her condition would deny her of fulfilling her dream of becoming a teacher. 

But Frederick has used her pupils' curiosity about her wheelchair as a teaching opportunity to raise awareness for FA among the next generation.  

Madelyn Frederick, 20 (pictured), from Dallas, Texas, was always known as the 'clumsy' member of her family

She constantly stumbled and was unable to ride a bicycle. Pictured: Frederick

Madelyn Frederick, 20 (left and right), from Dallas, Texas, was always known as the 'clumsy' member of her family. She constantly stumbled and was unable to ride a bicycle

In December 2012, at age 13, Frederick was rushed to the hospital after running a mile when her pulse rate reached 234 beats per minute (bpm), higher than the maximum of 200 bpm. Pictured: Frederick doing a test to measure her oxygen levels while exerting energy

In December 2012, at age 13, Frederick was rushed to the hospital after running a mile when her pulse rate reached 234 beats per minute (bpm), higher than the maximum of 200 bpm. Pictured: Frederick doing a test to measure her oxygen levels while exerting energy

'I would stumble down the stairs a few times a week and I was never any good at riding a bike, but my parents didn't think anything of it,' Frederick said.

She began getting chest pains during physical education classes in middle school and, at first, she was diagnosed with exercise-induced bronchospasms.

This occurs when the muscles along the walls of the airway constrict, which reduces airflow and makes it difficult to breathe.

But in December 2012, at age 13, Frederick was rushed to the hospital with a pulse rate of 234 beats per minute.  

At this age, the average maximum heart rate should be no higher than 200 beats per minute, according to the American Heart Association. 

It led doctors to investigate Frederick's condition further and, in March 2013, she was diagnosed with 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,

read more from dailymail.....

NEXT Health service initiative offers patients a chance to see a GP on the same day ... trends now