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The worth of difficulty It takes a lot to be able to see one's growth within the period of a single month. I used to be able to see consistent and relevant growth around the end of every year. Then I had my accident, a mountain bike spill on a jump track that left me with a broken neck and uncertainty for the future. With that and certainty came a new battle, I wasn't trying to aim for perfection both physically and mentally and I wasn't trying to conform to the most widely accepted definition of success. When the world seems bleak, the smallest success, picking something up without dropping it, moving in an environment on your own, any sort of action that brings independence is a real success! And with everyday struggle, there is a sort of constant self-worth bubbling to the surface past all of the hardship and the self-doubt. Truly, I'm starting to see a new beginning with new adventures for the future. And I'm excited to be able to share this with so many whom I love!

MY STORY Hello! My name is Gladys Jimenez and I am Mexican. My life changed 13 years ago after I suffered a car accident that caused me a spinal cord injury at the C5 cervical level, making me a quadriplegic. That night I decided to go out with some friends, not knowing what to expect. We were barely down the road when the truck sustained mechanical damage and the driver lost control. We ended up doing 5 somersaults until the truck stopped. I remember all I wanted to do was sleep but one of the guys in the car was able to get out and started pulling me out. At the hospital, they said that I urgently needed surgery because the paralysis was slowly increasing and I could die. After the surgery, a lot of rest, and starting rehabilitation, I still had the hope of walking again and returning to my "normal" life, but the reality caught up with me one day and it broke my heart. I fell into a depression that I didn't want to acknowledge and for a long time, I was so broken and damaged blaming myself for the life I now lead. Little by little I was healing and I decided to turn all that pain into a driving force to be able to get ahead. Every day is still difficult, being paralyzed from the chest to the feet and having difficulties with my hands is not easy but I have learned to live like this. I am still struggling to achieve my independence. I like to inspire and motivate more people through makeup or positive thoughts reminding them how beautiful and valuable they are regardless of their physical appearance.

Hi, I'm Lyndsey and This is My Story I was always the 'sick kid'. I missed so much school, letters were sent home. I had snacks and advil on hand in my elementary school office. I couldn't run or do anything physical without having joint pain or having a migraine. Good thing I was never a sporty person anyway! I had many drs. appts over the years and test after test none of which ever showed anything. Finally, at 17 yrs old, I was diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. For the most part, my EDS has been pretty mild. Many people suffer from dislocations, but fortunately I have yet to experience one. As a kid, I had few hobbies. I've always been the singer of the family and the horse girl. I loved being outside exploring, riding four wheelers, and finding cool rocks/bugs to take home. EDS didn't stop me from doing what I wanted to do until 10th grade when I decided to cheer for football at my highschool. I’ve missed practices, had a migraine developing almost every time I ran, but the last straw was when I got a staph infection from the cheer mats. I missed so much, I was so far behind in what I needed to know, and I had to quit. That was the first time I was really upset about my illness stopping me from doing something I enjoyed. For 11th and 12th grade I went to a trade school for Veterinary Science. I was in the FFA, I showed a rabbit in my local county fair. I finally had real friends ( I've always had a hard time making friends) and my health was okay for a while. Then, my senior year I had a couple episodes of strange symptoms...skin burning so badly that even a sheet touching me was pure agony, my arms went weak for a couple weeks and I couldn't drive to school or open doors for myself. I remember thinking, "Man, I hope this never happens to my legs!" Those episodes came only once and nothing came of them until a few years later. I graduated highschool and went on to work at a vet clinic. I moved out of my parents house at 19 and I was in college for vet science until I realized that lifting animals was hard for me. I decided to get STNA certified...which wasn't the greatest idea because lifting humans isn't any easier. I then went on to get Phlebotomy certified. I worked as a phlebotomist for a few months before I got pregnant with my daughter, Olive, at 20. About 4 months into my pregnancy I started having unusual weakness in my legs. Knee braces became a staple in my wardrobe. My doctors weren't concerned at the time because of my EDS and the fact that your joints get more flexible due to hormone changes. My intuition told me something else was to blame, so I changed doctors. With the new doctors I was more comfortable, but still I thought something else was happening to me. The few days after I had Olive my legs were so weak that I was put down as an extreme fall risk and wasn't allowed to even get out of the hospital bed without a nurse. From that day forward I continued to have limb weakness, I developed an abnormal gait, started having non-epileptic seizures, and was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder after many tests and a trip to Cleveland Clinic. For a while before my diagnosis I felt absolutely lost. My career path had to change, I was a new mom, and I was losing my independence. My mental health was really struggling. Adding a shower chair and mobility aids to your daily routine is a lot when you've gone most of your life taking walking correctly for granted. It took all but 2 years for me to go from hanging out with my friends and dancing for hours on end to not being able to grocery shop without help. I've now, at 24 years old, and I have been disabled for almost 4 years. Everyday I am still learning to accept myself, to love myself no matter what, and to live a life of gratitude. No one knows when their life will change or have to pivot. Without the path my life has taken I may not have found my passion in content creation and disability/ chronic illness advocacy. I refuse to let FND get me down or stop me from pursuing any of my goals. My instagram @lyndsey_ellen_ is dedicated to sharing inspiring, educational, humorous, and relatable content for other disabled/ chronically ill individuals and our allies. In the future, I plan on public speaking and writing children's books in hopes of breaking the stigmas around disability/chronic illness.

I am strong, crazy and funny MS warrior.🎗 My name is Paolla, I am 21 year old from Croatia. Last summer I was a perfectly healthy young girl (or so I thought🙈🤣) but one day in September my subtenant turned my life upside down. My head and eyes began to ache, my pills didn't help, and my vision was blurred. That was the first time I met my new life companion, my multiple sclerosis. So far I have received 200+ injections behind me, two pulse corticosteroid therapies, dozens of tests, lumbar puncture, and magnetic resonance imaging. On the other side I have the biggest support of my family, friends and people whom before the diagnosis I considered only acquaintances. MS gave me a lot of pain, torment, bad days, difficulties, brain and nerve damage, but it also opened my eyes. It gave me a new, different view of the world. With the diagnosis, the new way of life and the lifelong companion, I realized that we should enjoy every day and every moment because we never know which one is our last. Appreciate the people around you, the little things and use every moment because maybe the next one will make you forget about life before it. Love, Paolla🎗🧡

Hi, my name is Susie. I have a level T7-9 spinal cord injury because of a car accident. It means that I’m a full-time wheelchair user and I’m paralyzed from the waist down. As an able-bodied girl my only dream was to become a professional athlete as a speed skater. After my injury I spent many years in denial and deep depression because I felt like I couldn’t move past the loss of walking, running and skating. Slowly I started to enjoy moving my body again and now my life is all about adaptive fitness, eating healthy and getting stronger physically, mentally and emotionally as well. Growing is always a long and tough process, but believe me when I say that hard work always pays off! We should believe in ourselves just like we believe in those who inspire us along the way towards our goals!

We the disabled community we can make it in life as abled people do. Hello everyone. My name is Bugembe Nelson, and I am from Kampala-Uganda in East Africa. As I am 25 years old, I am a graduate of information technology and computer repair and maintenance. I was born like any other normal kid, but at the age of 2 years I was taken for polio vaccination and injected with the wrong vaccine that made the vein in my left leg go dead. And I ended up becoming disabled, unable to use my left leg. But that didn’t mean that it was the end of my life, no, my daddy had to find out how I was going to survive. And guess what? Here I am. I went to school, and finished the primary level, then later went to secondary and passed with flying colors. I got to university and completed it in 2019. I soon looked for jobs and unfortunately, didn’t get one. In 2020 Covid-19 came in and I was looking after four abled youths at the time. We had no source of income, so I had to be innovative. I had an idea of starting to make detergents (Liquid Soap, Dog shampoo, Hair shampoo). Now as I speak, I have a small company that I own that produces all different types of detergents and I sell all my products online mostly through contacts on social media. Thank you so much you too can make it in life. In case of anything you can reach me on my WhatsApp number +256-755396053 or on my Instagram @Nelson_Bugembe #DisabilityIsntInability

My Story Hi, I'm Victoria. I am 25 years old and I am a graduate student at the University of Arizona. My physical disability is CP and on May 4th my custom manual wheelchair was stolen on the jet bridge at JFK while I was still on the plane. I was terrified, scared, and angry that a passenger would do that to me or anyone with a disability. American Airlines did not search the video footage looking for my chair when I asked them to and they tried to give me a walker as a loaner(I haven’t walked since I was 13)after I left the airport I just wanted the airline to buy me a new custom wheelchair but I had to wait 30 days to have them investigate it. As a person with a disability living without my chair is so difficult it takes away my independence and it’s my lifeline to the outside world. After hearing this, I reached out to many news stations in the New York area and they wanted me to tell my story. After I was on the news American Airlines was pushed to buy me a new wheelchair that is custom to me.

About Me Hi, my name's @rosslannon, I'm 28 years old and I am a Lifestyle & Disability blogger from Cornwall, UK. I am passionate about all things media-related, and my dog Ralph! I started my blog "A Life on Wheels" back in 2017 as a way of documenting my journey through adulthood as a young man with a physical disability. I am now a regular presenter on CHAOS TV and recently finished studying a course in Foundation Journalism. Often described as a "cheeky chappy", I like to use my platform to raise awareness and showcase disabilities in a POSITIVE light. I'm always looking for new challenges and ways to show people what I CAN do, rather than what I CAN'T. My condition is called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and I was diagnosed at age 2.5. Since then, I have gone on to grow a beard, drive an adapted vehicle, and live independently with support from a small care team. Win-win! I often share lifestyle stories, as well as review accessible accommodations, activities, and products. If you'd like to keep up to date with my crazy little life, you can visit www.alifeonwheels.co.uk or follow me on all the usual socials!

Adjusting to a new life For many years I have loved nature and adventure of any kind; climbing, ski mountaineering, running, cycling and walking in the hills of Scotland and beyond. A tumble from my mountain bike in August 2020 left me with a high level spinning in al cord injury. The original prognosis was complete paralysis from the shoulders down. No regrets I have loved all the experiences and adventures I’ve had over the years and I’ve no regrets about what happened. My life will be different now and things I see to do, like climbing and skiing, I can replace with other things and challenge myself in new ways. Flickers of hope As time has passed, flickers of movement have led to function and I can actually control my wheelchair with a joystick. When lying in my hospital bed this was beyond my wildest dreams. More flickers have led to more movement and with outstanding support and hard work from the team of people around me I began to set goals that would have seemed fantastical, delusional even 12 months ago. I don’t know what’s going to happen and where things are going to go, but I’m ready to get stuck in and gain as much recovery as possible. But at the same time, enjoying and living life to its fullest!

My one-year-long Erasmus in France Hiii everyone I’m Anna, I’m 21 years old, and I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, a genetic condition that, as you can guess, makes my bones really fragile. I am a third-year undergraduate student in Applied Languages, and I come from the North of Italy, but I’m currently living in France. At first, doctors didn’t think I would have made it, but here I am 21 years later, overturning all the expectations. Don’t get me wrong, some surgeries and years of physical therapy were necessary to get me where I am today, but it was all worth it. When I was 18, I moved out of my parents’ house to live near my university, and in the meantime, I studied to get my driver’s license. Living alone was incredibly scary and hard at first, but it gave me the opportunity to learn how to be more independent (even if I still need some help!). This intermediate step was necessary to realize one of my biggest dreams: living one year abroad thanks to the Erasmus, a European project that gives college students the possibility to study in another country for an amount of time. And so, in September 2021, I finally left for France, where I’ll be staying until the end of May (I’m already sad that it's almost over!). It’s been a crazy adventure with many ups and downs, but I learned a lot about myself and the world, met incredible people and saw amazing places! I highly recommend it

Anything is possible! At the age of 9 I was diagnosed with a malignant tumor that spread through my rib, heart and lungs. I was given only 3 to 6 months to live. My mother did not put me on any treatments, she did not want me to suffer. She prayed to God in the hospital bathroom that God would grant me life if I was going to be a grateful girl to him. After 2 years I was still alive and they took me to the hospital. After several tests ALL THE TUMORATION WAS GONE! I ONLY HAD A SMALL OPERABLE AND BENIGN TUMOR COMPRISING MY MODULUS. I had an operation. Today I am 37 years old. My professional life I studied foreign languages at the University of Havana, wrote, sang in church and served in the audiovisual media. I also work as a Community Manager of social networks, translator, book editor and note writer. I am grateful for the family and life that God gave me and I try to take advantage of it every day. Although I live in Cuba among many barriers and needs, God always provides for us. I want to learn ukulele but I don't have the instrument. I know it will come. I hope my story has been a blessing to you. Hugs and blessings from Havana, Cuba. My Instagram is @yuyucubanita

I was Perfectly Healthy Until I Turned 13 After a stomach virus in 2017 when I was 13, I started having a lot of pain after eating, dizziness, and other debilitating health issues. After years of misdiagnosis, I learned I have three rare abdominal vascular compression syndromes (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome MALS, Nutcracker Syndrome NCS, Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome SMAS), and an iliac vein birth defect. These vascular compression syndromes prevent proper blood flow and compromise my stomach and colon function. The vascular compressions also contribute to Dysautonomia, an autonomic nervous system disorder where your nerves don't properly send or receive messages, and causes extreme heart rate increases, drops in blood pressure, and doesn't allow my body to regulate my body temperature. I also have hypermotility Ehlers Danlos syndrome, a condition that causes connective tissue issues and makes my joints prone to sublux. As a result of these rare conditions, I have to get my nutrition from a feeding tube and fluids via IV. Last summer, I had a 7-hour surgery in Germany to fix my vascular compressions. Unfortunately, I've been having more pain after this surgery, so I'm also learning how to live and cope with chronic pain. I'm Determined to Succeed Despite My Limitations My education has been vital to me so I've been determined to work hard despite my health limitations. My journey through high school has been far from easy. I haven’t been able to have the typical high school experience. I can no longer play the sports that I used to love. I have been doing school online since 8th grade and I really miss the in-person social interaction. The online program at my High School has been excellent and has allowed me to complete my coursework in the hospital, on the road for medical treatment, and as I recovered from my surgery in Germany. My teachers have all been incredibly supportive. Despite everything I've gone through, I've worked hard to prioritize my education and have maintained good grades. It hasn't been easy and there are days when I really want to give up, but I try to remain positive and I'm determined not to let my health conditions get in the way of my academic success. It's Important to Give Back I've been learning to find purpose in my health journey by trying to make a difference in the lives of others. Chronic illness has taught me the importance of selfless service and how reaching out to someone else who is struggling with some words of hope can brighten someone's day. So many people have made a big difference for me while I've been sick and so I've learned that even the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference in someone else's life. Baking has been my therapy so I used my creativity to start a baking business. I specialize in custom sugar cookies, cakes, and hot cocoa bombs and will be teaching online classes soon. I volunteer as a Soldier’s Angel on the Angel Bakers Team for the military and mail monthly packages of homemade cookies to service men and women around the world. I also raise awareness for rare illnesses by donating proceeds from my baking business to medical research. I love to thank the nurses and doctors who treat me by bringing them homemade cookies as a small gesture of appreciation. I hope my story is a reminder that if we dig deep, we have the strength to overcome even the most daunting challenges. While dealing with my rare disease hasn’t been easy, I hope to defy the odds and continue to inspire those around me with hope, strength, and resilience. 💜 Grace