Outskirts Press, INC.

My name is Jamie Lynn Cusick. I am a thirty-six year old woman living with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a life threatening neuro-muscular disease. I initially had symptoms of Friedreich’s Ataxia when I was seven years old but did not receive a DNA diagnosis until the age of eighteen. Friedreich’s Ataxia is a slowly progressing neuro-muscular disorder that causes damage to the peripheral nerves which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. At this time there are no treatments or cure for Friedreich’s Ataxia. I continue to reside in Hughesville, Maryland, with my parents.