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Everyone Has a
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Here you’ll find inspiring stories, educational tips and updates from the Get Back Up Today community. Want to share your own story with the world? Click “Share Your Story” and tell us how you’ve worked to “get back UP!”
Inspiring Stories: Madeline Jarrett
Madeline has Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). As a result, she has had mild foot drop since she was in middle school. She first began experiencing more significant foot drop when she was 16. This was after she dislocated the patella in her right leg for the first time...
Inspiring Stories: Silas Stuck
Silas was born with a rare chromosome deletion. It is so rare that it doesn’t have a name, it is called 2p 12-11.3 deletion syndrome and there is a gene in this deletion that causes spastic paraplegia. He walked late and is still learning to talk. Due to his...
Inspiring Stories: Kay Ashton
Kay Ashton lives with neurofibromas (NF) – a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on the nerve endings. The NF led to scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and now as a result of these two conditions, Kay has foot drop. She also happens to have fallen arches...
More Inclusive Clothing Coming to a Store Near You
Finding clothes to fit your needs and style is often difficult when you have conditions that affect your nerves, muscles and mobility, including Foot Drop. But if you’ve long wished more retailers would offer inclusive clothing options, that wish could be coming...
Inspiring Stories: Lilly Markusch
Lilly Markusch was 19 years old, a Division I college athlete at the University of Nebraska on a cross country and track scholarship. Her entire life was running and competing at one of the highest levels in college athletics. Then a freak accident changed her...
Inspiring Stories: Julie Stone
Tripping over everything, leg weakness, and losing balance were all things that Julie Stone spent a lifetime experiencing. In order to manage, she would wear a lot of high-top shoes and even wrap her feet in order to keep her ankle up. But those short-term...
Inspiring Stories: Kyla
Kyla has been a toe walker since she began walking. Her parents have always kept a close eye on it since her dad is still a toe walker as an adult. They would stretch her achilles tendons, as they were getting tight, and encourage Kyla to walk on her heels. ...
Inspiring Stories: Dr. Matthew Mbanga
As a high schooler, Dr. Matthew Mbanga, a native of Zimbabwe, competed in international tournaments in both rugby and waterpolo, earning him Sportsman of the Year at an elite all-boy’s private high school in Harare, Zimbabwe. From there, he captained a university...
Inspiring Stories: Jessica Cochran
Jessica Cochran’s journey to a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) at 25 was not an easy one. It took her almost 10 years to receive, which is the average. There are a few reasons for this including the fact that people tend to think the symptoms are all in...
Inspiring Stories: Jessica Lee
Jessica Lee’s journey to discovering she has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease was long and painful. At age 12 she was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and told she would not live past the age of 16. She spent countless hours on operating tables and was bedridden for...