One cold day this past March, Lainey Hampton ditched her wheelchair. She used her crutches to walk from her car to class. She almost always uses her wheelchair to get around campus. But on this day, she felt good, and she was excited.

Years earlier, she would have thought nothing of it — of course she would have walked to class. But in 2021, she had noticed something was wrong. Her mobility faltered. Walking became difficult. She was scared.

For years, no one could tell her why. Doctor appointments, tests and misdiagnoses followed until, finally in early 2024, she received an answer. She had a rare genetic disorder — hereditary spastic paraplegia type 5 — that causes weakness and muscle tightness in the legs. It wasn’t the diagnosis she hoped for, but Hampton was relieved. She finally knew what she was up against.

Today, Hampton is a first-year student at Michigan State University. She can be found on campus either in her wheelchair or, on good days, walking to her seat in a classroom with a little help from a railing or chair. She’s enjoying her first year as a college student and the feeling that comes with it: independence.

“There’s a big gap between high school and college and how much you get to do on your own,” Hampton says. “And it’s really important for someone with a disability to have that independence, which is something I’ve really found at MSU.”

Her independence has given Hampton one more thing: a purpose. She is ready to make the most of the next few years at MSU. “I want to be a therapist,” she says, “for people with disabilities who are going through or have gone through a life-changing diagnosis.”

Learning to navigate a disability

Hampton and her family had spent years searching for answers after her symptoms first appeared. At one point, she thought it might have all been in her head. So, when she finally learned of her condition, it was a relief. But it was also devastating. The condition is progressive, meaning Hampton’s legs will continue to weaken over time.

In August 2023, Hampton and her family moved from Naples, Florida, to East Lansing. She was set to start at East Lansing High School in January 2024, but that coincided with when she learned her diagnosis.

While she was relieved to know what was wrong, she also wondered, “Why me?”

“I have to go through this and battle every day just to get around,” she remembers thinking. “Why does everybody else around me get to have a normal teenage life?” She would have to worry about finding an accessible path or knowing the best door to enter a building.

At first, she relied on classmates, teachers and aides at East Lansing High School to help her get to classes during the school day — it was not exactly the introduction she had hoped to make at a new school. But soon, she says, she decided to accept her fate and find happiness in this new version of herself.

She started using her wheelchair to get around and, even on bad days, embraced her new normal. “I think that people who go through hard stuff like this — and it doesn’t have to be a disability — can gain more strength,” Hampton says. “I feel more empowered now.”

She is still embracing that empowerment two years later, now as a first-year Spartan.

Finding her way

Hampton says she has always been very shy. Living with her disability, however, has taught her to be herself and speak up when she needs to.

Like any new college student, she is looking to make friends and a community at MSU. She says she’ll talk to people before and after classes as much as possible and does her best to be as welcoming as she can. One thing she does struggle with, however, is that the seating for students with disabilities is often in the front row or back corners of classrooms, which is something she hopes will change over time. She says that other students seem just as eager as her to make friends — Hampton doesn’t notice as many cliques as she saw in high school.

She’s also found support across campus. Through MSU’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, Hampton has access to accommodations and resources that help her navigate classes and daily life.

That support extends beyond the classroom, too, with opportunities to get involved and meet other students.

Hampton has enjoyed one club, in particular. Once every week or two, she plays wheelchair tennis with other students as part of the Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club, and she even traveled to Orlando with the group for a tournament in April for what she says was a life-changing trip.

“I’ve met a lot of people at tennis with and without disabilities,” Hampton says. “It’s been super special to be a part of that.”

As Hampton has grown more comfortable living with her disability, she is looking forward to the rest of her time at MSU, but also to what she hopes comes after.

Looking forward

“There have been a lot of ups and downs,” Hampton says, “but now I kind of see my disability as no big deal.”

She feels she is on the right path — meeting new friends and having fun playing tennis — and she hopes to join more clubs as her schedule allows.

Initially, Hampton planned to major in psychology but now wants to pursue social work.

Looking back on the past few years, wondering what was happening to her and the feelings she had once she was finally diagnosed, made her want to help others. “There’s this grief that comes with something like being diagnosed with a disability,” Hampton says, “like you’re losing a part of yourself.

“I would love to help people realize that they can still live a life with a body that doesn’t function the way it used to. I want them to find confidence in themselves and live freely, no matter the limits of their body.”

For now, Hampton is enjoying the last few weeks of her first year of college and looking forward to what’s ahead. She’s going to continue her studies and hopes to share more of her story on social media while advocating for people with disabilities. She posted about her recent tennis trip and writes about her own journey often.

She also wants to explore more of campus. So, if you see her along the Red Cedar River or studying at the Multicultural Center, be sure to say hello.