Ataxia Profiles: Faces Of Ataxia...Jake Thompson

   
     Hey everybody! This week I would like to introduce you all to Jake Thompson. He is a young man with FA...but I will let him tell his story...

     My name is Jacob Thompson. I was diagnosed with Friedreich's Ataxia when I was twenty-four-years-old. Growing up, I loved to play sports. I played baseball, hockey, and football competitively but also enjoyed water sports, downhill skiing, tennis, and pretty much anything else with a ball and competition.

      Towards the end of high school, I began having trouble performing athletically at a high level. My max lifts went down, my forty-yard dash got slower, and it was difficult for me to track fly balls in the outfield and make accurate throws. I had always been one of the strongest and fastest kids in my school; as a junior in high school. I even placed first in my weight class in a Tri-school lift/run/jump competition.

     As I began to struggle to perform, I also struggled with my identity. I had always been identified by my athletics and was no longer sure of who I was. My dreams of playing a college sport became just that...a dream.

     I went off to college and wasn't good enough to play on any of the teams. It turned out that God had other plans for me. In high school, I was part of a ministry called Young Life that made a big impact on me; my leaders had been my freshman football and baseball coaches.

     By my Sophomore year in college, the doors had opened for me to lead Young Life and to coach high school football. I also began making music and doing spoken word poetry to bring hope and light to people who were in a dark place. Little did I know, my music and poems would soon be speaking to me.

    Throughout college, the difficulties that I experienced performing tasks that used to come so easy for me continued to increase. I found that I could no longer skate, use rollerblades, or slalom ski. I didn't fully understand, but I also didn't think too much about it, as I was still able to enjoy playing games of pick-up football, basketball, and tennis.

     The final straw came one day when I was twenty-four, and I was trying to paddleboard in the ocean.No matter how many times I tried, I could not keep my balance. I decided to go and see a Physical Therapist, wondering if maybe I had experienced too many previously undiagnosed concussions that were now impacting my balance.

      Seeing the PT led to several appointments with a Neurologist, a CT scan, and numerous blood tests. As a result of all the testing, I received a diagnosis of Friedreich's Ataxia.

     After my diagnosis, I struggled with feelings of depression, and hopelessness. I didn't feel like anyone could relate to what I was going through, and I was devastated to think that all of my goals, dreams, and aspirations were now dead or dying. I felt defeated when I thought about all the things that I wouldn't be able to do with my wife and kids.

    Eventually, what I came to realize is that I now had two choices before me. I could sit around and feel sorry for myself about what I no longer had, or I could make the most of what I did have. Through all of this, my faith in Christ has shown me that no matter what, God has a purpose for my life. With His help, my intentions are to fulfill that purpose.

     I have put my experiences with Ataxia into a hip-hop album titled Pressure Makes Diamonds.

     I am also working on several new creative projects in which the songs, poems, and videos are made with a two-fold purpose in mind. One intention is to bring encouragement to those who are facing trials, especially those that involve Ataxia and other rare diseases. I know that my experience of feeling hopeless is common among those with such a diagnosis.

     The second intention to these forthcoming projects is based on my hope and desire that they will help to raise public awareness. It is also my dream that this, in turn, would lead to further developments in the area of treatments. I am not sure where this all may lead, but my ultimate vision is to establish a foundation that utilizes both multimedia to raise awareness and takes action in the fight against rare diseases.

    
     Thank you for sharing with us Jake. You have a beautiful family... and a very inspirational story and we wish you great success in your future endeavors.

     That wraps up another Ataxia Profile for this week. Thanks everybody...
     until next time...stay safe, Jason