Juniper Riddle is a wife, mother, nurse, farmer, and advocate. After her four children left for college, Juniper went back to school herself and then worked as a nurse, and then later as a health director for a senior living facility. When fatigue and weakness in her legs made work more challenging, Juniper searched for answers with a neurologist and received a diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2).
After she could no longer work as a nurse, Juniper dedicated her time to working her family’s land, growing her own food, tending to animals, and remaining as active as possible. Over time, Juniper noticed that tending to the land was becoming increasingly difficult, and she began experiencing falls, including one that made using a wheelchair necessary.
Now, Juniper has found workarounds for the hard labor of farm work. She has an easily accessible greenhouse with hydroponics on her deck, and grows more 30 different types of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Juniper spends her free time advocating for DM research and for making systems like insurance and Social security more user-friendly.
Juniper is excited to continue sharing her story as a way to increase hope and positive change for the DM community!
