DUNEDIN, Fla. — Isabella Anna Wojtkowski was born a healthy baby girl with a big smile and bright eyes that could take in the world.

“She was a perfect baby, she hit all her milestones, she talked early, just perfect,” said Jo Wojtkowski, Isabella’s mother.

Jo and Renek Wojtkowski are Isabella’s parents and are extremely proud of her.

“Isabella is an extraordinary child. She is beautiful. She is creative. She is extremely intelligent. She is very emotionally intelligent and just a beautiful soul,” said Jo Wojtkowski.

“She’s funny. He likes to make jokes and make up stories. And that’s one of her traits that has been with her since she started talking,” said Renek Wojtkowski, Isabella’s father.

But at age 4, Isabella’s health took a turn for the worse.

“He got the virus and it took him a long time to recover. And he had trouble walking after that. Her muscles were tense and it was just painful. So, it was the first time something like this happened. And after that, she never, ever fully recovered,” explained Renek.

So, her parents took Isabella to numerous doctors who did many tests, but nothing was found. They were told that she would get stronger in no time; however, a year later, Isabella’s physical challenges seemed to worsen.

“We started to notice that he was becoming clumsy, tripping a lot, stumbling. He was struggling to walk in a straight line, wobbling and just struggling to get around,” explained Jo.

Despite countless specialists and tests, doctors still gave Isabella the “all clear.” That is until a year ago when he started having chest pains.

“The pain was severe. And I witnessed one of those pains before he went to bed one night. And it was really like about 10 seconds of intense pain,” Renek said.

Her parents rushed her to the ER, where she was diagnosed with a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a thickening of the heart muscle.

A doctor at the hospital also thought Isabella’s heart and balance problems might be related. They recommended that she undergo genetic screening at USF.

“I did genetic tests. It was the end of October and then within a month I was diagnosed with Friedrich’s ataxia,” said Jo.

Friedrich’s ataxia, or FA, is a rare, inherited disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system.

And despite being relieved to finally have a diagnosis, telling their daughter wasn’t easy for Jo and Renek.

“Her first response was, ‘So it’s not my fault?’ And obviously I said, “No, it’s not your fault. It’s something you’re born with. And now that we know, we can figure out how to deal with it, how to make it better for you,’” Renek said.

ABC Action News anchor Wendy Ryan recently caught up with Isabella, who is talkative, funny and mature for her age.

“I like going to the pool. I love snuggling with my dog, Jasper. He’s very cute. I also like to relax in my room and I like to dance and have slumber parties,” said Isabella.

Isabella also explained to Ryan the help he needs when he walks to school.

“Miss Renyano and Miss Holly, they usually hold my hand. And during dismissal, Mia, another friend of mine, and Gia, another friend of mine, usually hold both of my hands and kind of help me balance,” Isabella explained.

And Isabella understands her limits because of the state of her heart.

“My heart muscle is bigger, one of them. So if I do too much physical activity, my chest starts to hurt. And I’m having a heart attack and I have to lie down,” Isabella said.

The 4th grader also shared with Ryan about the different therapies she goes to.

“In physical therapy, you do physical things. In Occupational Therapy, you do writing, hand stuff. If you do speech therapy, it can help them say words in English,” Isabella explained.

And he fully understands his diagnosis.

“Now that you know for sure what’s going on, how do you feel?” Ryan asked.

“I feel very angry,” Isabella replied.

“Why do you feel angry?” Ryan asked

“Because I don’t want to have FA. I want to be a normal person,” Isabella explained.

But this kid is so appreciative of all the support he gets from everyone.

“One more thing I would like to say. Thank you to all the people who have helped me over the past years,” said Isabella.

And Isabella’s parents have big dreams for their special daughter.

“I have no doubt that her life will be fulfilled and she will do whatever she wants to do as long as she is willing to work for it,” Renek said.

“She has so many talents and we just want to make sure she can live this bright and full life that she deserves,” Jo said.

If you’re interested in helping Isabella or others with Friedreich’s Ataxia, the annual Fara Energy Ball is Dec. 6 at the JW Marriott on Water Street.

You can learn more about Fara Energy Ball Here.