My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis

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 h...