Erin Kiernan, a teenager with Friedreich's Ataxia, monitors her cardiac function closely and gets help from several specialists. Introduction Questions and Answers Does It Run in the Family? MDA's Search for Treatments and Cures MDA Is Here to Help You

MDA IS HERE TO HELP YOU

The Muscular Dystrophy Association offers a vast array of services to help you and your family deal with Friedreich’s ataxia. The staff at your local MDA office is there to assist you in many ways. The Association’s services include:

nationwide network of clinics staffed by top neuromuscular disease specialists

MDA summer camps for kids with neuromuscular diseases

help with obtaining durable medical equipment through its national equipment loan program

financial assistance with repairs to all types of durable medical equipment

annual occupational, physical, respiratory and speech therapy consultations

annual flu shots

support groups for those affected, spouses, parents or other caregivers

online support services through the e-community myMDA and through myMuscleTeam, a program that helps recruit and coordinate in-home help

MDA’s public health education program helps you stay abreast of research news, medical findings and disability information through magazines, publications, educational speakers, seminars, videos and newsletters.

MDA’s Web site at www.mda.org contains thousands of pages of valuable information, including disease specifics, research findings, clinical trials and past magazine articles.

Everyone registered with MDA automatically receives Quest, MDA’s award-winning quarterly magazine. Quest publishes detailed articles about research findings, medical and day-to-day care, helpful products and devices, social and family issues, and much more. Other MDA publications can be found at www.mda.org/publications; many booklets are available in Spanish. Ask your local office for “MDA Services for the Individual, Family and Community” and for help with obtaining copies of other publications.

If you have any questions about Friedreich’s ataxia, someone at MDA will help you find the answer. To reach your local MDA office, call (800) 572-1717.

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