Name: Clint Stewart
Age:31
Where do you call home? Houston, TX
Education: Bachelors' in Business/Communication from Grove City College (PA); Masters' in Business Administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH)
What is your relationship status? Who do you live with? I am very single and share an apartment with my dad and his girlfriend.
What's a typical day for you? I don't have many typical days. I have a physical therapist visit twice a week, and volunteer at the local hospital, so it all depends on the day.
Are there any others with FA in your family? I am the only member of my family "lucky enough" to have FA.
Describe your transition from walking to walker/wheelchai: I was able to walk (shakily) through high school. After graduation, I had my spinal fusion operation, which slowed me down a little. Over the past 12 years, I have made the transition from occasionally standing to full-time wheelchair user.
What do you like to do to stay active and what type of exercises work for you to stay strong? To stay active I go to the gym at my apartment and lift weights sometimes, I am not a gym rat by any means, but those few exercises help my upper body strength. My physical therapist focuses mostly on my legs and core with stretching and low-impact work.
Do you have any hobbies or special interests? My biggest interest is sports. I follow the Cleveland Indians, Cavaliers and Browns, Pittsburgh Penguins, and The Ohio State Buckeyes, from afar.
What is a good trick to make daily life easier? The best trick I know is to take a nap, if possible.
When FA gets you down, what do you think/do to feel better? I am fortunate enough to have strong family support and a few select friends to lean on if things get not great.
What is one way living with FA has POSITIVELY affected your life? FA has helped me be a more patient person.
What is a favorite motivational quote of yours? "Give 100%. 110% is impossible. Only idiots recommend that." - Ron Swanson
What is the best advice YOU could give to a person who has been newly diagnosed with FA? Make the most of what you have.
What is the first thing you want to do when a cure/treatment to FA is found? I would probably find a basketball to see if I can still shoot baskets.
"I have FA but FA doesn't have me." What does this statement mean to you? How do you live your life in the face of adversity? Thinking "I have FA but FA doesn't have me" lets me put FA in perspective. FA may be this big scary disease, but it's not as big as me. I'm a human with a disease. I'm not a disease with a human attached to it. I deal with adversity by being the best person I can be despite my disadvantages, a big part of it is trying to live the life I want and not live the life FA tells me I must have.
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