Itâs been nearly 15 years since Ondie Mitchellâs husband Chuck was diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia.
And although their journey has been a difficult and sometimes heart-breaking one, Mitchell says itâs been made easier knowing theyâre not alone.
The couple will gather with those who share their plight and their desire to raise awareness of the disease this Saturday for the inaugural Country Skies Xtreme Hike & Festival for Ataxia Awareness.
The free, day-long event will feature musical entertainment; food and craft vendors; Disney characters Moana, Cinderella, Gaston and Belle from Character Visits 4 U; Hendersonville Poet Laureate Henry Jones and Hendersonville native Jeremy Cowart, a world-renowned photographer who was diagnosed with Ataxia three years ago.