Cerebellar ataxia doesn’t stop her from enjoying life
Sherry McKinney serves as office administrator for Texas EquuSearch.
“I was a paralegal for 35 years, but I quit working for a few years when I was getting diagnosed and dealing with cerebellar ataxia. It’s a neurological thing. They don’t know what causes it. They don’t have a cure.
“Growing up, I was very active. I was a gymnast. I was a dancer. I played the piano. And I talked fast. This ataxia affects your speech, your fine motor skills and your balance. It hit all of them with me.
“When I was diagnosed they said, ‘You’ll end up in a wheelchair.’ But I was like, ‘You don’t know me very well. That’s not going to happen.’ That was 17 years ago. I’m still dealing with it, but it hasn’t gotten any worse. The only thing I have to do is use a walker for balance.
“I live alone with my dog. I take care of myself. And I’m very active. I go meet friends at restaurants. I go to concerts. I go to wineries. I blow and go. I just put that walker in the trunk, and I’m off. The walker doesn’t define me. It’s just something I have to use. I could walk around without it, but falling is the pits.”
— Sherry McKinney, 59
(Editor’s note: Sherry passed away on Dec. 26, 2018.)
Related:
