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Tell Us What Yoocan Do in 2020 If you’ve been following Wheel:Life for a while, you’ve probably noticed we’ve featured several stories with our partner Yoocan throughout 2019. As we enter into a new year, we wanted to remind our readers of the power of storytelling. When we share our struggles, victories, dreams, and accomplishments, we may be opening someone else’s world to possibilities they have never imagined. Likewise, when we read about the lives of others, we may just find the encouragement we need to kickstart a journey toward reaching a goal. Let’s look back at some of the Yoocan storytellers we highlighted in 2019 who are challenging stereotypes and pursuing their dreams. Squirmy and Grubs Back in March of 2019, Dr. Phil boldly proclaimed that interabled relationships fail 100 out of 100 times when caregiving is involved. At that point, Squirmy and Grubs already had a successful YouTube channel in which they share their lives as an interabled couple. Just after the Dr. Phil episode aired, they posted a video explaining why they turned down an offer to be on the show and encouraged viewers to post their interabled relationship stories using #100outof100 on social media to show the talk show host just how wrong he was. Squirmy and Grubs have since gotten engaged and recently bought a house together. Congrats, you two! Max Lauden Wheelchair tennis players and twin brothers Max and Marcus Lauden are still working hard to qualify for the 2020 Paralympic Games this summer. After Max suffered a back injury in 2018, he lost his 10th place singles world ranking jeopardizing his chances at clinching a spot for Tokyo. But thanks to his hard work and determination, he has climbed back up from 51st to 25th in the world. In order to pack his bags for Tokyo, he needs to be ranked in the top 12 by the beginning of August. That’s why he’s taking this semester off of college to play in as many tournaments as possible around the world with the hopes of climbing the ranks. Max is also aiming to qualify for the doubles competition at the Games with his brother, Marcus. Good luck, Max and Marcus! Eudora Eudora is still as cute as ever in her little red wheelchair and recently finished her first semester of school in her home country of Scotland, where she made a lot of new friends. She stays busy with modeling gigs as well as a recent acting cameo on the BBC show Molly and Mack. She’s been working hard to get stronger and often opts for braces and a walker instead of her @littleredwheelchair. Perhaps a change of her Instagram handle will be in store soon! What Are Your Plans for 2020? It’s a new year and a new decade! Have you thought about your goals and plans for the months that lie ahead? Why not share them on Yoocan, the global platform where people with disabilities connect and tell their stories? It’s easy to do! Just go to yoocanfind.com, click on “+ADD” at the top of the page, and follow the steps to create an account by clicking on “Sign Up For Free.” Once you’re registered, you’ll be directed to a form where you can write up your story and upload a few photos. Need help? Just click on the “Chat With Caring People” button at the bottom right side of the screen. All submissions are reviewed before appearing on the website, so you probably won’t see yours right away. Just make sure to follow along on social media daily, so you don’t miss it! **Article originally appeared in Wheel:Life Magazine

I have scars but I love my self!!!!!!! I almost lost my life when a firework exploded on me and I went up In flames. My whole entire body was on fire, 😩😩😩😞😞😞... I couldn't believe what happened. I immediately ran into my mother's arms. I felt my body lock up and the fire disappeared. I have scars, but I love my self!

The Beginning Here is our story... In 2011 we met through rearrangements of carpooling to what became our favorite place to be; an amputee camp called Camp Star. A camp where all amputees are welcomed young and old. Throughout the years we became way more than best friends, we became family... Sully Sully is a 20-year-old, who is a bilateral amputee. Sully was born with a rare disorder called BPS also knows as Bartsocas Papas Syndrom which is a very fatal disease. This disorder is very hard to explain and very few to none live past their childhood years. Sully has undergone MULTIPLE surgeries to his face mainly his jaw throughout their life. He is one in a million. Sully is the most loving person anyone could possibly meet, he always welcomes one with open arms. He is a diva queen that nothing nor no-one can stop. Danyelle Danyelle is a 22-year-old, who has an above the knee amputee on her left side. She was born with a rare disorder called PFFD/CFD also known as Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency or Congenital Femoral Deficiency. This effects the pelvis, proximal femur, and hip bone. Danyelle has stage "D" which is the most severe case. Danyelle has undergone 2 major surgeries in her life; the initial amputation of her leg and bone fusion. Danyelle is a sassy character, who struggles to embrace who she is sometimes, but she is looked at as a strong individual who never backs down from a challenge. Youtube In the summer of 2019, after Danyelle was thinking of creating a Youtube channel for years, we decided to start one TOGETHER, creating AmpLifeTimesTwo. A channel that not only fellow amputees but everyone can watch, as we take on two different lives but together. We both have gone through some tragic events that have only made us both stronger and we are excited to share our struggles, milestones, lives, emotions, happiness, and sadness with the world!

Read Your Way Into An Inclusive Adventure With the holiday season coming to a close, I'm sure many of you are tired of hearing the clickety-clack of buttons from video games and other various technological distractions that were on your child's list of presents they wanted. Well, the solution is simply to get them reading again and not from a kindle but an actual book! These books entitled The Adventures of KatGirl series will not only educate your child on accepting those whom are physically different but keep them entertained for hours with fun-filled adventures brought to them by a superhero in a wheelchair who helps kids who are being bullied. These books can be found at katgirlandfriends.com for the low price of 4.50 and you can get an autograph from the author Katherine Magnoli who will personalize a message for the child of your choice. Now, if that's not enough and you have a child who's a little older and you are looking for a little longer of a read then make sure you pick up Pete the Private Eye, a collection of short stories mysteries solved by a boy who is legally blind and uses his magical cane and the language of Braille to find missing objects. This fun and at times humorous mysteries will keep your reader guessing what is really going on until the end of the book. If interested go to katgirlandfriends.com to purchase your very own AUTOGRAPHED copy for the low price of 6.50!

My fight for inclusion started at the age of 5 I went to many therapists as a kid, I went toa disabilty center to work on making me an independent person. It was all going so well. My progress was improving every day almost after each therapy session. My mom said I was ready to attend public school. The therapists said I was ready to attend, the disabilty center said I was ready. However The public school said I wasn't ready. Watch the video to find out the details that led to me being allowed into my neighborhood school 3 years ater I first signed up. It still amazes me to think in 1980 I wasn't allowed to attend my neighborhood public school. In 1998 I was given the keys to a classroom as a public school teacher.

Hardheaded I don't even have a clue how to start this blog post. What I do know is that I am not alone in what I am dealing with on a daily basis being a new amputee. That far left image thats a part of this above photo collage, is what I had as my right leg from August 15th, 2018 until January 31st, 2019. Now there is no reason on earth why it should take that long for me to get that diseased limb removed. Are you curious why it took over 5 months to have an amputation I wanted from day one? After it was suggested to me, by a doctor, my doctor, that amputation was the best way to go for my health and survival? Insurance stupidity and healthcare "professional" incompetence. I won't bore you with the plethora of bullshit I had to deal with concerning hoops the insurance idiots DEMANDED I jump through before they approved my surgery....and the ton of medical "professionals" incompetence, but believe me when I tell you that money is what drives the medical profession in the united states of america. NOT healing or helping patients. Short History I was in a branch of the united stated military for 9 years and did unspeakably horrible things in the name of united states of american freedoms. I never received a scratch, not even a mosquito bite. I returned home and lost my right leg, below the knee, to diabetes. How's that for karma. To be honest that amputation was my doing. My fault. Totally all me. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2008, ending a 26 year career as the best cook/chef I have ever known, working all over the world. Diabetes meant I could no longer work because of the effects the diabetes caused my body, vision, strength. Cooking 12 to 14 hour shifts 4 days a week...is no joke. I retired from cooking and ignored my diabetes. For the next FIVE years. Hard headed would be an understatement. I was defiant and extremely stupid. If YOU have diabetes do not ignore your diabetes. I accept the fact my amputation could have been avoided. I didn't care. The amputation was never an issue for me because having the diseased limb attached to my body for 5 months was way worse than any surgery to remove the leg below the knee could possibly ever be, and I was so tired of being on my ass in bed for 5 months. Waiting The surgery was successful. I healed in record time. Went home in 3 days time. Was walking unassisted with my new prosthetic in weeks. I thought to myself....."this amputation thing is a cakewalk." What exactly does that mean..... "a cakewalk?" I know I am not alone in the toxic shit I am sinking into on a daily basis and thats why I am writing this blog post. I was fooled into thinking, because of my initial success with the surgery, healing, walking and overall good mental state of mind, that this journey back to "normal" would be a cakewalk. It is anything but that cakewalk. My issue with my recovery is the inability of healthcare professionals to be totally honest with me when it comes to my prospects for my future. I believe all medical professionals should be honest. So here I am now, currently waiting on a prosthetic that fits properly and searching for a prosthetic company with my needs in the forefront of their concerns.

I will succeed After my surgery, the pain didn't stop. I became stronger and fought hard so I could live. Doctors said the reason for the pain was that my hands and nerves were under pressure. He initially recommended that I undergo surgery, but warned that if I did the surgery my hand would lose half its abilities. Some people believe that we were born to inspire others, but I believe all humans were born to inspire and to help make each other happy. So, I look at my recovery in another way. I've had good days, travels, birthdays, parties, visits with my friends and people I love. Those experiences made me happy and love life. I'm going to travel more around my country, visit my city, experience the problems and lack of facilities and transportations, and tell others what they can do to make our cities comfortable for people with disabilities. I want to show people to love and accept themselves. They should be whoever they want to be, even if others say it's not possible.

My story Hi! I'm David, I'm 40 and I live in France. In 1997 I was hit by a car when I was on my motorcycle. My leg was so damaged, so it had to be amputated. Before this accident, I was a young man without any plans... I didn't know what to do with my life... When I was at the hospital, I met different professionals, and then realized I wanted to be an Orthoprothesist. One year after my accident, I then began to study this work! Sometimes traumatic accidents can be the best thing for you!

Edwin Munoz: My Story I (@edwin8munoz) woke up on a familiar dock in September 2018 around 3 a.m. confused, scared, and in pain. I will never forget the taste of lake water I struggled to cough up as heavy rain poured on my face. The same dock I dove of for years will be the last thing I ever dive off of. I walked up to the edge and lunged out expecting to feel the smoothness of the still water. Instead, I was greeted with a rock to my head instantly paralyzing me from the chest down. I broke my cervical spine at the C5-C7 and suffered a spinal cord injury leaving me completely paralyzed. Keeping complete consciousness, I slowly floated to the bottom of the lake patiently waiting and hoping someone would find me. They did, minutes too late. I spent about four months in the hospital wondering why me. I have learned to face my truth and decided to move forward and do whatever it takes to get my life back. Hard work and dedication has paid off as my body is slowly being returned to me. I can now stand on my own and hope to one day begin taking steps. I've shared my story with many and plan to keep encouraging people to continue to battle for their independence. I don’t have 100% back, but I will use 100% of what I have to be the best person I can be physically and mentally! Here’s to many years of continued progress and happiness!

Body positivity You wouldn’t see me post this kind of photo 6 months ago. It’s nothing special, but it sure shows too much for my thinking back then. Truth be told, I didn’t like how I looked, I didn’t like my body. I was insecure about a lot of things: how skinny I was, my crooked body, my teeth, nose, then my BiPAP when I started wearing it all of the time, the fact that I look 10 years younger than I am. In conclusion, I didn't like anything about me. Since I was young and until now, I didn’t wear shorts or dresses. In summer I wore long leggings and I didn’t like even that because they made me look even more skinny then I already was (or so I thought). I was very conscious of myself around other people. You can ask my mom or my sister, when they said I look beautiful, I rolled my eyes and said: “yeah, yeah, you’re just saying that because you’re my mom/sister”. They were always so angry with me 😁. Now, everything is different. I learned to love my body more, to accept it, to not see every little detail about it that I don’t like. I gained weight and I like how I look now despite the fact that I’m still on the skinnier side. I accepted my crooks because they make me different than everyone else. My teeth (still my least favorite thing about me) - they work and they’re healthy and that’s what matters the most. My nose fixed itself since I started wearing this type of a mask and not a full nose one. I accepted the fact that I wear my mask all of the time. Why shouldn’t I accept something that makes my life easier? That doesn’t make sense to me now. I look 10 years younger and that’s great in a way. When I’ll be 40, I’ll look 30 years old. Every woman’s dream 😄. It still sounds funny when someone calls me beautiful, but at least I learned to accept the compliment. And yes, disabled bodies are beautiful. Different is beautiful. YOU are beautiful. 💖

From the beginning There is a thing that I don't talk about much in my life with Hank. It's invisible, much like this disgusting virus that robbed us. It's on the inside of the mothers who live in the aftermath of Congenital Cytomegalovirus, and very likely any mother facing a life altering diagnosis with their child. It's guilt and disgust and shame and fear and pain and anguish. We feel responsible somehow. We lay this incredible burden of responsibility upon our shoulders for a thing we didn't know existed until it was too late. We blame ourselves for something we didn't know about until it was too late to be educated. We are ashamed that we didn't do the one thing we were meant to do, protect our unborn baby. We fear that we are judged by our family and friends for the outcome that we couldn't control. Like we chose this and went out of our way to contract CMV. And the pain of failing our baby... the anguish of what their lives or loss of their life means... There is no word for the way you feel. It is all consuming. It's exhausting. We cry in the shower, our bodies racked with pain and anguish, the tears falling silently in bed where we can't sleep because the reality is still better than the nightmares that come. Yet, it is masked by smiles and sunshine. Our dreams are shattered and smashed. The truth is... we are wrought with emotion. Drained of joy. Robbed of motherhood dreams. It falls apart in the moment of a blood test. 3 letters have taken away everything one has hoped for in a life they prayed to create. There is no glory or strength in that. There is no making it better or easier. In that moment, the core of our being falls into an abyss of silence. But.... From here, we heal. It is a single traumatic moment and lifelong battle against the aftermath. We scream in silence as the tears come until our heads pound. We shut out people who love us because we loved someone too and we ruined their lives. We ache in a place that we can't put our finger on. Until one day a sliver of light breaks in. It touches us and there is breath. And from there.... From there we heal. It may have taken us a few short weeks or maybe a few months to get there. For some of us, it could take the better part of a year or more. Healing isn't the same for everyone. There is no cookie-cutter pattern we can follow. No guidelines or rules or time table. It hurts one day and the next it's a little less. We can stand up eventually. We find the power to look this monster in the face and say "Not today. You can't take me too." Someone who loves us, hugs us and we hang on a little longer than we used to because we feel it again. We are finally ready to let the cape of our self-blame and regret fall from our shoulders. The grief is over. We are angry still, but not at ourselves. Now we feel justified to be angry at the virus that no one talks about. Angry at the lack of prenatal education we received. Angry at the stigma that we can't talk about our mental health. Depression rolls in and out like summer thunderstorms. Anxiety tags along sometimes. The time has come though and we've made peace with our hand. This is our lot and that's okay now. It's time to heal. It's time to let the warm sunshine in through the broken pieces of our lives. It melts the ice and brings in fresh air. Moving Forward We are healing now. It doesn't mean that life resumes as normal. It means that we are adjusting to the new life. The alterations that need to be made. We've been traumatized and have to handle the things that set off a familiar wave of panic. It is truly Post-Traumatic. There are triggers and things we can't do the way we used to. We might not hug and kiss on your babies, that needs to be okay with you. We lost something precious. We ache for what you have. We don't regret our children but you have what we had hoped to get. It's a confusing place to live in. We might not come to birthday parties for awhile, it reminds us of a party we won't have. We might not have them because our angel has gone on without us. We might not have them because our child doesn't know what it means. Maybe they are immuno-compromised. Maybe there is medical fragility. Maybe... Maybe we miss a few years of family photos in Christmas cards, someone is missing. The braces and machines and wheelchair is hard to look at. We are doing the best with what we have. It may have happened overnight but the healing will take much much longer than that. Maternal Mental Health is not to be taken lightly. If you know a mother who experienced loss, sickness, chronic illness, life-altering diagnosis... know her heart is hurt. It hurt then, it hurts now, it will hurt for a very long time. She may be smiling, now, but she had to heal to get here. Love on her today. Let her know that she matters. Bring her to me and I will tell her. Light and Love, Samantha

Dare to Dream "I'm Becca and I have an identical twin called Lottie (@lottiebex750) We were born at 28 weeks weighing 2lb and 1.5lb. I have spastic and dystonic cerebral palsy affecting all four limbs and use a wheelchair outdoors and a walker indoors. I love the water and my big brother is a great surfer. All I could do was be put on my dad's back and we would jump the waves in the sea while my sister would bodyboard with my mum. We just accepted my dream was never going to happen. That was until this summer when we met The Wave Project @WaveProject and I did something I never dared would be possible...I surfed, on a surfboard, with my sister for the first time. It was the best day ever! Never stop trying, you can do anything."