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Hi, know more of me ❤️ Hi, my name is Maripaz Romero, I’m from Monterrey, Mexico. I’m 22 and I was born with one leg shorter than the other, and a right arm smaller. I started using prosthetics when I was 8 years old. I’m studying education, and this year I will be graduating!! But my biggest dream is to be an international model. I want to show the world that everything is possible✨❤️❤️

A little bit about me Hi, I’m Eliza and I’m 26 years old. I have Multiple Sclerosis, EPI/PEI, chronic pancreatitis, a pineal brain cyst, degenerative spine, and many other diseases. How do I deal living with multiple disabilities? I don’t remember the last time that I felt healthy and able. If I’m having a good day with my MS then another of my diseases will creep up on me. I feel as though I never get a break. But, I will not give up. I just keep telling myself during my darkest days.. “it’ll get better and this isn’t forever.” I mean, my diseases are with me forever but hopefully, the pain will get easier to deal with. I outweigh the bad with the good. For example, I have lost complete feeling in my foot for longer than a year and don’t expect to ever get the feeling back BUT it means I appreciate so much more! More than I ever could imagine. Eating food. I rely on PERT (Creon tablets) whenever I eat or drink which is a total pain BUT although it’s a negative it’s also a major positive as it means I can enjoy foods that I couldn’t beforehand! It gets better, just give it time 🧡

Just a quadriplegic guy My whole life changed after I experienced a tragic bike accident, I became paralyzed and now have a complete C5-C6 quadriplegic SCI. Initially, it was tough to adapt to everything as a quadriplegic, but with the help of my parents and family support, I managed to have many goals in life. I started learning web designing skills and now work as a website developer. We should all focus on what we can do, not what we can’t do. Disabled doesn't mean unable, always be positive!

My Life Story What’s up! My name is Michael, and I was diagnosed with Spina Bifida when I was born. I am 17 Years old with a dream to become an automotive technician. I like music, art, gaming, basketball, cars, motorcycles, hiking, and exploring, and I love going to beaches. I love trying new things and am up for new challenges that come my way.

Finding out about her microcephaly Hello, my name is Alondra. I'm 24 yrs old and my daughter's name is Hennessy. She's 3 yrs old. When I was 26 weeks pregnant I found out Hennessy would be born with microcephaly. Once the doctors gave me that news, they told me what microcephaly was and said she had a low chance of survival after birth. The Doctor told me I had the choice to have an abortion but I quickly told her no that I wasn’t going to do that. I knew I was going to have my baby but of course she offered it at every single appointment I had with her until I told her to stop telling me I had that option. Nothing was going to change my mind. I was going to give my baby a chance to fight. Hennessy was born at 33 weeks 4 days and was taken straight to the Nicu for testing and they confirmed the microcephaly and also hydranencephaly. She only had a week stay in the Nicu and got discharged to go home but was sent home on hospice and palliative care on failure to thrive. Just 3 1/2 months later she was discharged from hospice because she wasn’t failing to thrive, she was gaining weight and was such a happy healthy baby. Then right before her first birthday she was also discharged from palliative care. First bday and trying to get her to gain weight At Hennessy's first year check up, her primary care doctor began to worry about her weight more because she was only about 13lbs. I knew she needed a g tube at some point in her life but I tried pushing it off and feeding her more and trying to have her gain weight, but she would move a lot and burn all the calories she was getting. So we got referred to a gastroenterologist and she gave us a higher calorie milk and we tried that for 6 months. She gained and soon lost a pound. So once her gastroenterologist saw that, waiting to get a g tube was no longer a choice she definitely needed it because what we were doing wasn’t helping so less than a month later she got her g tube placed when she was 14lbs at 1 1/2 years old, she just turned 3 and is now 26.3 lbs. Therapy Hennessy gets physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Speech therapy is on hold until they get a slot open for us again but she’ll get it at school and she just got approved to get physical therapy through the school. Now they can work on getting equipment for her to have in the classroom. Hennessy is now 3 Hennessy just turned 3 and aged out of her early intervention program which meant she was able to start preschool. I knew she would love it. She wakes up everyday happy to get ready and gets happy when she sees her teacher. She is healthy and doing so much more than the doctors thought she would. I am so proud of her and can’t wait to see all the amazing things she will do. 💛

Yoocandoanything with good friends and a paratrek So a few friends from the special needs community decided to gather together up north in one of the nicest places in northern Israel, the Dishon valley. Of course, we got team @Paratrek on board with Alon the manager to help us get into the water. It was truly fun and beautiful, getting our kids wet and joyful. This great day was followed up by a BBQ with all families which was great! Staying home is always the easy way, I recommend just making an effort and getting out there it’s good for our kids and non the less food for our soul. Happy holidays everyone from Erez!

Hi i'm Rúben Hi, I'm Rúben. I'm 30 years old and live in Portugal. I have osteogenesis imperfecta. I like sports, and heavy metal music, Slipknot, and Moonspell are my favorite bands. My story Growing up with osteogenesis imperfecta was a big challenge, even today it is not easy but it is under control. I had the perfect idea that my life would be a little different from those of my friends from an early age. I was a fragile child who could break a bone at any moment, but that didn't stop me from doing anything, or I was a little rebel without fear of my condition. I've always liked sports a lot, I started swimming when I was 6 years old but it wasn't enough, I needed more. In January 2007 I began to practice weight training to recover from a fracture in my left arm, I saw that I got stronger, with less pain in the body, I gained more mobility, and it was fundamental to strengthening my body and mind. In 2013, I was challenged to surf for the 1st time, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Surfing gave me freedom and was a huge help for my inclusion in society, it was the first time that I didn't feel limited to my Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Since that day I have never stopped surfing and it has been a very fun journey. I hope you enjoyed my story, be well, lots of hugs.

No, you're not psychic. A stranger walks up to you. They look like they are about to ask you a question but you already know what they are going to ask. No, you're not psychic. You live with a disability. As someone with a lifelong disability, I am always ready to answer questions from curious passersby. I know I am going to be asked questions because they happen every day. I am after all that alternative type of human existence that fascinates non-disabled people. Answering questions come with the territory of having a disability. There has to be a better way That doesn't mean that it is always ok to ask questions and it doesn't mean that a person with a disability has to answer. Communication and education enhance understanding of any minority group but no matter how many questions I answer when I leave my house, there are always more questions tomorrow. There had to have been a better way than educating people one by one; a more efficient way. Right there is the gem of the idea that changed my life. I created a podcast. I started my own business. There is no such thing as a 'wrong' question The I Can't Stand Podcast is a weekly podcast, that answers my listeners' questions about the realities of living with a disability. I've had so many great questions. Here are some of the highlights: What is it like to date with a disability? What is Ablism? What do I do when someone says the R-word? How do I become a better ally to the disability community? I am one person with one disability. I believe it is important to illustrate the many different experiences of living with a disability. So on alternate weeks, I interview someone else with a disability. To better understand what it is like for them to live with a disability. Better still, listening to other people's stories, means I learn along with the audience. My little way of making a difference The podcast is my way of taking some of the burdens of people with disabilities. So they don't have to be always answering questions and educating. This is my little way of increasing understanding and acceptance of the disabled community. This is my little way of making a difference. You can find The I Can't Stand Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

About me Hello! My name is Seb (Sebastian) and I am 6 years old. I am a shaken baby survivor. I was born completely healthy but was violently shaken by my caregiver at 12 weeks of age. I survived 3 cardiac arrests but I am now disabled as a result. I have quad cp, epilepsy and I am tube fed. My prognosis was really poor but I can now eat, use the toilet, control an electric wheelchair and I know signs. I'm also learning to use an electric communication device. I am super clever and love anything that gives me an adrenaline rush. I love spending time with my mum and family too. I have a fantastic school that supports me with everything I do too! We advocate and raise awareness for childhood head trauma and SBS. Follow us and learn more on @sebs_cp_story.

Daily Life Hi! I’m Jermia (@_mia.mi), a 29-year-old sports junkie in Dallas. I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy II at the age of 2 and have wheeled my way through life’s challenges with a smile. SMA is a degenerative muscle weakness that has left me wheelchair-bound and often limits how much, besides walking, I am able to do for myself. Rather than letting my limitations hold me back, I’ve accepted the challenges head-on and still find ways to enjoy life while also seeking to encourage others to push through. I’ve found myself doing the same things that able-bodied people regularly do such as traveling, driving, and attending music events among other things. I currently work in sports media and about 2 years ago. I created my own sports podcast called HotTakeSzn (@its_hottakeszn). A scripture I hold dear to my heart is Philippians 4:13 which says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. When life says “you can’t”, just know that you can!

My life Hi! my name is Jocelyn Villaseñor (@joceilyynn). I was born with cerebral palsy (CP). I'm from Concord, California aka the bay area!! I am 18 years old. My cerebral palsy was caused at birth, meaning I was a healthy baby all throughout my mother's pregnancy. because of the lack of oxygen, a part of my brain was damaged. that part of my brain was physical. for as long as I can remember, walking was always easy for me. up until my early teens, it became more difficult. I started to develop lots of struggles; including back pain. because of this, I had many surgeries. none of them seemed to work. the most comfortable way for me to be able to go outdoors was my wheelchair. today, everywhere I go I have to bring it with me or else it would be a challenge. Currently Despite the fact that I need my wheelchair for outdoors, I pretty much walk around my house. I don’t have much mobility (doing house chores-wise) but I try to do as much as possible. I am a high school senior, I'll graduate this coming may! although a large majority of my childhood friends/current classmates are going to college, I am not. college was a huge deal to me since I can remember. but, last year I received the biggest blessing that I never thought could happen. SISTERHOOD. After nearly 18 years of being an only child, heaven heard me and brought my angel. My brother. Now that I'm happy as a little kid with candy, (or perhaps even much happier) I chose to stay home and watch my little butterfly grow its wings. Where up to next? During this time dedicated to me, I also want to explore more about my disability. Advocating for myself and others with disabilities is my top goal. This might sound delusional for my family that's probably reading this haha, but I want to be a disabled model. My interest in modeling didn't spark until late 2021. On TikTok, I saw a young model who's disabled. And I thought to myself “Woah I want to be like her.” The modeling industry is not very inclusive of the disabled community. again, my goal is to change that. My ambition is to grow on my platform and change the modeling aspect of disabled people. Thank you so much for reading! - J🤍

Britain's Strongest Disabled Man & 2nd in the World! When I was 16, I joined the British Army. I traveled the world, did a tour in Iraq, and was a very keen sportsman and an adventure training instructor. I left the forces after 8 years for a more stable life with my wife and kids. Adjusting to civilian life was difficult, so I started weight training and quite soon after that, I signed up for my first Strongman contest. After that first contest, I was hooked! I loved everything about Strongman from training to competing. I was competing in competitions all across the U.K. at a good level, qualifying for Britain’s Strongest Man in my federation! However, in 2014 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I’ve had a number of symptoms from spasms to mobility issues to hand issues. I have Secondary Progressive MS meaning my MS never gets better, it actually gets progressively worse. I have multiple permanent scars on my spine due to previous attacks. I now suffer from mobility issues meaning I need to use a wheelchair or other mobility aids. This was a huge blow to me, I didn’t know what to think because MS is called a snowflake disability because no 2 cases are the same! All I knew was I wouldn’t be able to compete in the competitions that I loved…or so I thought!! In 2016, while searching YouTube and watching people compete in Strongman competitions I stumbled across someone doing disabled Strongman! Immediately, I got on to searching all about disabled Strongman and came across a great community all with the same goals. My first disabled contest was the South of England’s Strongest Adaptive Man where I placed 1st and got the world record in the Seated Deadlift! A few months later, I competed in my first Britain's Strongest Disabled Man competition and placed 3rd. I then took some time away from the sport to focus on my health. When I came back I placed 3rd again and was invited to the 2019 World's Strongest Disabled Man competition but this contest was in Canada which was a lot to consider in such a short amount of time. As the 2020 contests came closer, I was training hard. That’s when Covid happened and we thought the contests would be called off! Luckily, we were still able to compete in December where I placed 2nd in the Strongman Disabled Man in the World competition and came 1st in Britain! Through my transition from being able-bodied to having a disability, I have learned that your dreams and aspirations don’t have to end. The way you get to achieve your dreams is to learn how to adapt.