Name? Frankie Leath
Age: I’m 23!
Where do You call Home? Rossville, TN
Who do you live with? My husband, Garrett, and we have a little boy, Grady, that’s almost two!
What are some of your interests or hobbies? I love to bake! I also really enjoy shopping, grabbing an iced coffee, or a bite to eat with friends/family. Believe it or not, I have always enjoyed working out & staying active as well! Most of all, I want to be wherever my husband and son are… quality time is super important to me!
What is your education? I have a high school education. I went to college for a year, and decided to come home and work; although, that didn’t last long. A few short months after leaving college, I married my best friend & a few months after that we found out we were having a baby!
When were you first diagnosed with FA? I was diagnosed 2 weeks after my 18th birthday. Right in the middle of my senior year of high school. That was a little over 5 years ago!
What are some life hacks that you use daily to make life easier living with FA? I don’t know if I have any “hacks” for living with FA… all I can say is life, especially with FA, is constantly changing. I’ve found it EXTREMELY important to stand firm in my faith & know the Lord’s plan for life will never be stopped, delayed, or altered in any way! I am able to find so much comfort in my relationship with the Lord! Although it’s not necessarily a “hack,” knowing God’s promises makes living with FA so much easier!
What has living with FA have taught you? I say this a lot, but living with FA has taught me that MOST things just aren’t that serious! When you’re sat down at 18 years old and given a life-shortening, debilitating, extremely rare diagnosis, you realize that most things JUST aren’t that serious. I’ve also learned that there is SO much goodness in every. single. day. I lived most of my life waiting for the other shoe to drop… if it seemed to good to be true, it probably was! Now? Now, I know that’s simply not true. The power of God is unimaginable & inexplicable! It isn’t “too good to be true.” It’s God!
When FA gets you down, what makes you feel better? It’s not too often, but when FA gets me down my mom is usually my first call! She often reminds me that it’s perfectly okay to have bad days… just don’t sit in that headspace too long!
What advice would you give to someone who has been newly diagnosed ? Don’t let your life end with your diagnosis! You are going to have to find your new normal, and that “new normal” will constantly change, but don’t let that keep you from experiencing all of the goodness the Lord has in store for you! Certain things are going to be a lot harder, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! The possibilities for your life are ENDLESS!!!
What are something’s that you are struggling with now that You haven’t in the past? I struggle to get around as quickly/efficiently. I use a rollator at all times which is relatively new. I struggle to cook a “proper” meal because of the time on my feet & consistent movement it takes, and cleaning the floors is exceedingly difficult, haha! I wouldn’t recommend trying to sweep/mop when you use a rollator for stability!
What is one way living with FA has Possitivly changed your life? As cliche as it sounds, I’ve learned to LOVE the “slowness” of my life! I am so fortunate to be able to tackle life at my own pace!!
I have FA, but FA, doesn’t have me, What does that statement mean to you? As I previously stated, my life didn’t end with my diagnosis! I have continued to live my life just as any other “normal” person would. I have FA, and the crazy thing is, I’ll never know a life without it! This is my “normal.” This is MY life! Again, I live each day as anyone else would, what other option do I have?
What is a favorite inspirational Quote you remember? It’s a long one, but my favorite inspirational quote is one from the Lord himself! I strongly suggest reading Matthew 6:25-34!
That segment of the Lord’s word is one I come back to SO often… I find so much comfort in resting in God’s promises!
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Interviewed by
Michael Gambino
Edited by
Sam Dupre