Sisters Inspire as MDA Goodwill Ambassadors

By Darren Brown, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon begins in less than a week, and NEWS 9 is introducing some of the individuals your donations help.

Ashton Sharp and her sister Chelsea have a few things in common. They both like to rock out and they've both been asked to be an MDA Goodwill Ambassador.

"Right after I opened the letter, five seconds after my mom's like ‘Are you going to do it?' and I was like ‘Mm hmm,'" said Ashton Sharp, an MDA Goodwill Ambassador.

"I think it's pretty cool they picked my kids to be Goodwill Ambassadors," said John Sharp, Ashton's father.

But the girls also share something that sisters should never have to share, a neuromuscular disease called Friedrich's Ataxia.

"My spine's kind of curvy, and I don't want to have surgery on my back," Ashton said.

The thought of surgery hasn't kept Ashton or Chelsea from taking life head on.

"Chelsea does cheerleading and stuff, but she can't run or jump or anything," Ashton said.

The Ataxia doesn't make it easy.

"It's kind of hard, 'cause I'm kind of slow, and the other girls are like 'Zoom!'" said Ashton.

It affects her balance, and causes her to fall a lot. Ashton's had more than her fair share of broken bones.

"I broke this three times, broke this once, and I broke my foot once. I broke five bones, four in one year," Ashton said. "My dad said he was going to make me a bubble."

"I don't want them to feel like they have any limits. And we have always tried to get them to experience things, even if they may not be the fastest, even though they may not be able to jump the highest. They have always tried to overcome their limitations," said John Sharp. "Within reason you know, I don't want them jumping off a building or something."

The Sharp family is on a journey, but it's one they're not making on their own. They're partnering with the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

"I don't have to wonder why you know. I just, I look forward to what's ahead," John Sharp said. "This is an opportunity that we have, to touch somebody else on a level, whether it be talking to them, whether it be manning the phones at the telethon, to be able to spread the word."

And this year's MDA Goodwill Ambassador, who is following in the footsteps of her sister as an ambassador, has a few thoughts on the MDA telethon.

"You're supporting a lot of kids that have something wrong with them, and can't like, do anything. Like have wheelchairs, and can't get out of them, and you're making them happy," Ashton said.

The MDA telethon starts Sunday, September 6 on NEWS 9 with our own Robin Marsh, Doug Warner and Darren Brown emceeing the event.

Learn more about the MDA Telethon.