FARA Ambassador Program
My name is Tomas Pik, I am 34 years old, I come from Prague, Czech Republic, Central Europe. I was diagnosed with FA when I was 14 and was told there was no cure and that I would not live to be 30. The term "deadline" has taken on a new meaning for me. I gave up my dream of being a doctor. I was not in a long-term relationship, nor was I planning to have children. For 14 years I have been using a mechanical wheelchair, which means freedom for me. I went through my teenage years with mental health problems and depression, but now I try to enjoy life and enjoy every day.
I am interested in the topic of sexuality of people with disabilities and I helped to establish a sexual assistance service in the Czech Republic. I became the promoter and face of this project in the Czech Republic. In 2015, I appeared in the documentary film Love Me If You Can, which opened up this taboo topic in Czech society. The film won the audience award at a prestigious international documentary film festival.
For the last few years I have been involved in the visual arts and founded a Prague gallery of contemporary and modern art and have been art manager for several painters and conceptual artists. In 2022 I helped start our patient organisation Frieda. I did graphic design, learned how to edit videos and took an intensive course in fundraising.
I live alone in a wheelchair-accessible apartment and am interested in foreign and domestic politics, culture and art, philosophy and new technologies (cryptocurrencies, AI). I am an experience collector, I love to travel. My big dream is that we (FARA ambassadors, other patient organizations and patients) can visit each other, support each other and share our experiences in person. You are all welcome to come to Prague :)
Jessica Ratliff was diagnosed with Friedreich Ataxia (FA) at the age of 28. She considers herself blessed to be the mother of 2 boys, born in 2019 and 2020, and raising her family with her husband and high school sweetheart. Jessica is educated in business finance accounting and worked as a certified nurse’s aide. Following her FA diagnosis, Jessica learned she could not have any more children due to the potential ill-affects her medication may cause. Today, Jessica is a fulltime mom, focusing on her family and managing her FA. She has become a powerful social media advocate raising awareness about FA and rare diseases. 
My name is Sydni Gibson-Dupre! I'm a 23-year-old from Louisiana, now living in Austin, Texas. I was diagnosed with FA at age 10, following my older brother. I'm newlywed to my boyfriend of 4 years, Tony, and we have 2 lovable little French bulldogs named Billie Jean and Romeo. After studying psychology in college for a short time, I've now become a social media influencer, model, & producer. I've managed my own social media production/marketing small business for the past 2 years. My goal has always been to raise FA and physical disability awareness, which is why I'm super excited to be a part of the FARA Ambassador Program!
My name is Brona Kearney from Ireland. I’m 31 years old.
I live at home with my parents. I have 2 siblings, an older brother, and an older sister. Neither of them lives at home. My sister has FA as well as me. 
Hi! My name is Sophia, and I’m an artist/illustrator living in Northern California with my husband, four children and two dogs.
I met my husband soon after at college, and soon discovered that I could, in fact, have children! A blessing, I gave birth to a son, followed by his two little brothers and a soon-to-be sister. Our oldest is now nearly 10. I like to share about health and nutrition as well as inspire others that pregnancy and motherhood are possible, not only in the face of a debilitating disorder, but also after surviving cancer.
