Name: Braxton Terrebonne
Age: 24
Where do you call home? Lafayette, Louisiana
What is your education level? I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and I am pursuing a law degree soon.
Who do you live with? I live with my good friends / former fraternity brothers.
How long have you been diagnosed with FA? When did you start showing symptoms? I was diagnosed in February of 2024. I began showing symptoms in 2018-2020.
Are there any others in your family who have FA? No, there are none.
Describe one transition/adaptation you have made due to FA. I’ve become comfortable with utilizing mobility aids like a walker when facing long distances. I also have modified my daily exercises into adaptive workouts.
What do you do to stay active? I try to stretch and exercise daily while incorporating some form of cardio. With FA, you should always be moving your body. You lose what you don’t use.
What is a good trick to make daily life easier? Approach your daily life with a proactive attitude rather than a reactive one.
When FA gets you down, what do you think/do to feel better? Talk to the folks around you and pick their brain on whatever is on your mind. No need to dwell on the disease itself.
What is one way in which FA has POSITIVELY affected your life? I met and came across so many amazing people within the FA community.
What is a favorite motivational quote of yours? You can’t change what happens to you nor the circumstances, but you can change how you feel and react to it. Much effort, much prosperity.
What is a piece of advice from someone else with FA that encourages and inspires you? Just keep your chin up and push forward. It only brings you down if you truly allow it.
What is the best advice that YOU can give to someone newly diagnosed with FA? Your life is not over; there are so many strong arms around you. Put yourself out there despite how you move or look.
What is the first thing you want to do when a cure for FA is found? Help with spreading the accessibility of the cure to all who face the disease.
“I have FA, but it doesn’t have me.” What does that statement mean to you? This statement is very powerful in the sense of me still living my life to the fullest without dwelling on the disease.
How do you live your life in the face of adversity? Despite being diagnosed with FA, I’ve faced many challenges throughout my life that many others never had to, and I don’t say that lightly. Having FA is just another wave in the ocean that I’ll ride out. Having all these obstacles in your life doesn’t define who you are. What defines you is how you overcome the obstacles. For me, it’s all just water under the bridge.
Tell us a little more about you… I was born on a 7-mile island in Louisiana. I really enjoy cooking, hunting, fishing, and spending time with my family, girlfriend, and friends. Currently, I am studying to get into law school as I aspire to practice disability law.
Interviewed by:
Bree Lessard