At the age of 15, in her third year of junior high school, she complained of frequent falls and other physical problems, and was examined at Koseikai Hospital.

Later, doctors diagnosed her with spinocerebellar ataxia, an intractable disease that gradually deprives a person of freedom of limbs and speech and eventually causes the loss of all motor functions of the body.

Shioka convinced her to publicize her diary in order to give hope to others since Aya had always wanted to be able to help people.

The book received a great response, especially in Aichi Prefecture and other parts of the Tōkai region, and was published in bunkobon form by Gentosha in February 2005.

In October 2011, Professor Hirokazu Hirai and his research group at Gunma University announced that they had elucidated part of the mechanism by which spinocerebellar ataxia develops in mouse experiments.