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You matter to everything! Hello, My name is Matthew and I am 27 years old living in south Texas. I have experienced quite a crazy life that makes most peoples jaw drop after hearing it. I had a small film career landing a PSA for Texas and an independent film that had Gary Coleman. I even traveled to Hollywood auditioning for some big casting directors. After 2 years of roughing it in the oilfield, I opened a photography business and quickly built some great relationships with people. I traveled all the way to upstate NY for a wedding on an island next to a castle. Then nationally published quickly after that for a shot for an airlift company. Amongst all these crazy times I was finding myself in extreme physical and at times mental pain. Trying to find answers was not #1 priority but in any attempt, I was pretty much blown off for being so young. I finally found a neurosurgeon that finally listened to my concerns. You are stronger than you think! He did a full MRI of my back but never expected to find what we found. I had syringomyelia also known as syrinx which is a spinal cyst growing inside your cord. My syrinx was attached to my brainstem and stopped halfway down my back. The words "This is the largest spinal cord I've ever seen in my practice" came from this neurosurgeon. Then further searching revealed I had been suffering from Arnold Chiari Malformation which basically meant the bottom part of my brain was falling out of my skull. Decompression surgery was strongly recommended after this discovery and so on Jan 5th, 2016 I had my brain surgery. Lot's of people ask you before surgery if you are nervous is something I learned. I found myself in this unremarkable peace about it all. I mean don't get me wrong because I had some butterflies but I remember telling my mom "Whatever happens after surgery it's already in God's hands". Nothing can stop you! Waking up from surgery is like you went to take a Sunday nap waking up at 3 am on Monday forgetting that you live on planet earth. I remember waking and still feeling the oxygen mask and wanting to remove it. However, that simple task was impossible due to unforeseen circumstances. I woke up from my surgery paralyzed from the neck down from finding an arachnoid cyst and a lot more damage on my brain stem than we thought. Suddenly being told I was going to have to reteach myself how to feed myself and walk again was very jolting. Don't take things for granted! I was moved back home to stay in a rehab facility where I got my as I joke my "diagnosis ontop of my diagnosis" which was a quadriplegic. I began my intensive therapy and boy was it intense. With my combined positive attitude, Faith in God, and my grit I found myself fighting for the independence I once had and took for granted. Twenty-three days of being bed and wheelchair-bound I went from 130lbs to about 90 lbs of skin and bone. On the 23rd day, I was doing occupational therapy and I remember sitting there in silence. I remember just finally letting go of a lot of things but mostly why me questions. I heard as clear as day a voice that I knew was God tell me it was time to walk. I looked at my therapist immediately and told her "I don't know how to explain this but its time to start walking". She looked at me and said Lets go! YOU ARE A WARRIOR! So we stood up and I began walking that day to my room only holding onto my therapist forearms and the words from God. It was probably one of the hardest moments of my life but showed me how amazing our God is in our lives. I made it all the way to my room that day without stopping. I didn't stop there because several days later I walked out of therapy totally unassisted. You could say I then began "running" I would be totally discharged from therapy less than a year later. I picked my camera back up and started going to college! I started working again and then published my first book in October last year. I'd say one of my biggest lessons was taking things for granted. I'm so thankful for everything I've been through and the blessings that it has brought. I am now 100% independent again but 100% dependent on God.

My wish came true I wanted to share my story. I was born 3 months early and at age two was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and was fitted for my first wheelchair. Doctors told my parents I’d never walk, write or feed myself...well I proved them wrong on all fronts. In 2012 I met the man that would years later became my husband. In 2014 he asked me on a date. I had just been dumped by my first serious boyfriend because he couldn’t handle my disability. I was crushed and scared of any man at this point. All I ever wanted in life was to be a wife and mom and I was convinced it was never going to happen. I eventually agreed to go out with my future husband and 2 weeks later he said he was going to marry me one day to which I replied “you’re nuts.” In June 2016 we were married. My dad pushed me half way down the aisle and Kevin met us and helped me walk the rest of the way. I’m now a wife and step mom as well as a goat farmer and Sunday school teacher

I aspire to inspire I'm Kiera, I'm 36 years old, and I was born with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. When I was younger, I never really felt out of place or that I didn't fit in with the "normal" kids. I've always been the type to say to myself that I can do anything and I can do it 10 times better. I've always pushed myself to go the extra mile because I knew I had to work harder than most kids my age. I'm able to walk with crutches for short distances but spend most of my time using a wheelchair. When I was 11 years old, I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or Lupus) which is an autoimmune illness. Most of my adolescent and young adult life was spent in and out of the hospital. I was able to go to college and receive my associates in teaching. I've always wanted to work with kids, especially kids that have special needs. I currently work as a counselor and tutor at an after school program. The queer community As a disabled queer woman of color, I'm very involved in the LGBTQ+ community and the POC community. I'm an activist and attend many events that related to including people with disabilities in those communities Dancing with a Disability I've always loved to dance. when I was younger, I used to choreograph dances and teach them to my friends who were disabled. We would perform for our school talent shows. I have a youtube channel with a few of my choreographed dances on it. When I was 21 (the legal age you can drink and get into a club in the United States), I wanted to go out, have fun and dance, and I just wanted to hang out with my friends. I didn't care if people stared at me, I didn't care if they were upset because they had to make space for my wheelchair. I just wanted to live a normal life. Marriage, Family & Finding Normalcy Eventually, I want to find a partner to settle down with, get married and have a family. I've dated, but dating is hard nowadays. When you add on that you have a disability to your dating profile, that makes it even harder. If they can look past it and see me as a person than great, if not they weren't worth my time or energy. In the meantime, I will continue to live my best life.

Cerebral Palsy My name is Sarah (@impaireddontcare_sarah) and I was born with Cerebral Palsy. Without crutches or a wheelchair, I cannot put one foot in front of the other, without giving the floor a smooch. Growing up, I always ignored my disability to try and defeat it in some kind of way, to prove that I was stronger. However, in 2015 I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. Having my daughter taught me that I cannot 'run away' from myself anymore. I began to realize that my disability was a massive part of me. Cerebral Palsy has made me realize how strong and resilient I am. Despite being told I wouldn't walk, speak or eat. My disability has given e ower and determination. I am powerful enough to raise a queen. She is my biggest and proudest achievement, along with learning to drive. My aim is to show others that despite the challenges we are faced with; we can overcome them and be whoever we want to be. In the future, I'd like to raise awareness for people with disabilities and I'd like to cover the topic of sexuality and disability as I feel this is such a taboo subject, even in 2019. This topic is close to my heart as I feel it's a right everyone should have, but it's so frowned upon for people with disabilities to express.

My Journey being Rare My name is Christina, and I'm 29 years old. I’ve been using Instagram for about 7 years to share my experience with chronic illness, disability and spreading awareness for rare diseases. I feel it's extremely important for those with disabilities to find their voice in the world, and to know that their disability is only one part of them. That there is so much more to someone than just their physical being. I found my voice through art, makeup and writing. When I was 10, I was diagnosed with a very rare bone tumor disease called Fibrous Dysplasia. I have it in my left hip, femur and knee. FD turns regular bone tissue into fibrous tissue, causing tumors/lesions to grow inside the bones. This causes fractures, breaks, leg length discrepancy, deformity, etc. There is no cure for Fibrous Dysplasia, and no known FDA approved treatments. I’ve had 10 major operations on my leg, including 2 rods and 2 plates. I currently don't have any hardware in my leg due to senstivity to hardware, leaving my leg susceptible to fractures and breaks. I fractured my knee standing in the kitchen a few years ago, and use an off-loader brace to keep my fracture from getting worse (it pushes my weight to the right side of my knee, to take weight off of the left side, which is where my fracture is). For now, we are just keeping an eye on everything, as my spine has been the priority recently.When I was diagnosed with Fibrous Dysplasia, I was also diagnosed with scoliosis. I had 2 spinal fusion surgeries in high school, at the ages of 15 and 16, to correct my curve. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with a bilateral pars defect (bilateral fracture) in my L5-S1 joint, which is the very last vertebrae in your spine. Last year in June, I had my 3rd spinal fusion surgery to correct the bilateral fracture. I recently found out that I fractured a screw in my newest fusion after I stared experiencing more pain and a popping/crunching sensation in my spine. I also found out that my fusion did not heal at all, and I am apart of the 1% of spinal fusions that fail. I’m currently going through my 2nd spinal cord stimulator trial, and next week will find out if I need another more aggressive surgery. I suffer from chronic pain everyday, and rely on very strong pain meds.I also suffer emotionally, but I try to remain positive by expressing myself through art and makeup. If I had never become disabled, I would have never found out that I'm an artist. I suffer from depression. anxiety and an eating disorder due to the emotional toll that this has taken on me. I'm not afraid to admit that I take anti-depressants and anxiety medications- I'd rather be here and be on anti-depressants than not be here at all. Makeup is my favorite thing in the entire world, and it's the one thing that I do for myself everyday. I believe that everyone who has a disability deserves to feel desired and attractive. We are more than our disabilities. I always say that I'm a rare babe with rare bones, because people with disabilites ARE babes, and deserve to feel beautiful, no matter what that looks like to them.

A New School Year School has started back for some and is just around the corner for others. Whether you’re a parent or a student, navigating school with epilepsy can be challenging for anyone. As you begin your back to school routine and get back into the swing of things, be sure to keep these 5 Back to School Tips for People with Epilepsy in mind for a successful school year. Tip #1: Seizure Buddy It can be difficult to share that you have epilepsy or seizures with others, but it’s important that someone close to you knows, in case an emergency should occur. Pick someone that you trust to be your “seizure buddy” and if a seizure happens, they can properly perform seizure first aid or call an adult for assistance. Tip #2: Seizure Action Plan A Seizure Action Plan (SAP) or Seizure Response Plan, is a plan of action for when a seizure occurs. There are many templates available for SAP’s via the web, like these from the Epilepsy Foundation. This ensures that if a seizure occurs that the proper steps will be taken in order to provide a safe place for first aid, recovery, or rescue medications. Tip #3: Wear a Medical ID Wearing a medical ID should be a priority for anyone with a medical condition and it could save your life! There are many options – bracelets, necklaces, wallet cards – available to alert a bystander or emergency personnel that you have special medical needs. If you are in need of a medical ID but aren’t able to afford one, you can print a free medical ID card here. Tip #4: Rescue Meds Rescue medications aren’t necessary for everyone with epilepsy or seizures, but if it is a requirement you want to make sure you or your child has rescue medications with them at school if a seizure should occur. In addition, make sure to include rescue medication instructions to ensure the person administering the meds is educated on the proper procedure. Tip #5: Educate Your Peers Education is key to ending stigmas associated with epilepsy and seizures. I wear my “E badge” proudly, and I encourage others to do so – this helps to educate those around you and others that may not understand epilepsy. Seize (no pun intended) opportunities to share epilepsy facts and experiences with your friends and school faculty – this creates a safer environment for anyone navigating school with epilepsy. Be Prepared Are you prepared for the school year ahead? Visit ChristalleBodiford.com to get your FREE copy of 5 Back to School Tips for People with Epilepsy. Share with your friends, family, and even strangers to help spread #EpilepsyAwareness

Inspirational book Hello, My name is Andre Brunswick. I wrote a inspirational book called Unconditional Love. I hope to get it in every school. It's on amazon.com & barnesandnoble.com $5.99 paperback & $3.99 ebook Synopsis My book takes a look inside a child born with ABS (amniotic band syndrome). I share my life story with the world. I hope my journey inspires everyone who picks this book up to read; it can make them feel at ease knowing they are not alone. My story will help anybody who has been bullied, who thought about committing suicide. Know that no matter what gets thrown at you, just remember to battle through it. Just know that you're not born different. You are unique.

My daughter’s early struggles My daughter, Ashanti, was diagnosed at age three years and eight months old. The diagnosis came after she was very behind in walking and talking. Her cognitive skills were not at age appropriate level either. After the diagnosis we immediately begin to enroll her in special needs daycares, home tutor and therapy to help her development. We as parents believe in inclusion for those with different abilities to help our daughter make friends and keep her in touch with girls her age. She start her kindergarten year in a regular public school with only an IEP inside a regular classroom. We saw our daughter get frustrated very quickly. She wasn’t frustrated with her peers she was frustrated with herself. She was frustrated that she cannot keep up with her classmates when it comes to a new assignment, she was frustrated that she could not write numbers are letters correctly and when she asked for help she felt as if she was being ignored. Ashanti hated her first year in kindergarten, she couldn’t understand the material, she can understand why her peers made fun of her for being behind. She was isolated and hated school. After her third grade year we pulled her our of public school and put her in a Special Needs school two counties away from us. She was scared at first because she didn’t know anyone there but, we felt it was the best option to save education. We felt it was better for her because she received more of individualize assistance, she’ll receive coursework that is more on her skill level and She will be more successful in making long term friendships. She begin to do so much better with her coursework. She moved from receiving almost all bad marks to being on AB Honor roll and Student of The Month. She love education and school and she believes she is now smart. An idea from personal experience Last year Ashanti has asked me can she go back to public school again. The question threw me off, but it was a decision that she made on her own and was very adamant on going back to public school. She felt as if she wants to give it another try now that she has more skills and better coping skills for how to deal with bully. She doesn’t understand anything she never gets frustrated anymore we have school work. We agreed with her decision, of course we worried. But, we have faith in her. She also started to draw. It started off and just doodling but, her skills have become remarkable in just a few months. She seems to always draw a certain character. One day I asked her “Who is this girl?”. Ashanti, without looking at me, said “She represents me”. This is the first time ‘Courage Willis’ came into our lives. Courage Willis: The Wild Hair Girl Wonder My daughter design Courage from facts about her own life. Courage has a twin sister, Ashanti has a twin sister. Courage has Autism, Ashanti has Autism. Courage has wild hair, Ashanti has wild hair. She saw herself in Courage. Courage Willis is a child with autism. She is almost completely non verbal but, she finds away to express herself. She is a social butterfly and love to make friends. She is caring and passionate. A bit headstrong but, a definite leader. Courage is her hero. She would draw stories surrounding Courage and her ‘splice of Life’ adventures. Courage is Ashanti’s best friend. And she would love to continue drawing the character. Ashanti is having ideas of turning Courage into a children’s illustration book for kids like her to enjoy. Looking towards the future. Ashanti today saids she want to be a Special Education teacher and Illustrator. She wants to give kids in school hope and to tell them that things will get better. She want to be the living proof for them that dreams really come true. Ashanti has a lot of Courage in her. Really! I could not be anymore proud in her. To use her artist skills to find hope for herself and to spread along to others. My daughter is one courageous girl. And I love her.

Doubting the doubts As a young child the list of things that I was told that I wouldn’t be able to do outweighed the things that I was told I would be able to do. I was just another case of Cerebral Palsy for the ‘experts’, just another case to spin the web of myths. To have such a strongly negative view over such a young life was shocking. But it would have been more shocking if these words were believed and swallowed. I was told I would never sit up. I was told I wouldn’t achieve anything. These words were lies. I was able to take a few steps as a young kid, however wobbly they were (now I call my walking dramatic ballet, you gotta make out those falls were intended…shhh CP’s the word!!). I was able to disprove doubt and got stronger. I still have tremors, from an outsider view sometimes it may seem that I am have my own little silent disco-they are welcome to join, but they must be prepared to be upstaged! Though I have these obstacles I still work hard to find independence- just the other year I was able to start doing my own make- up, this for most may not seem like a big deal, but for me it was. Recongnise who you are I, like many, don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but I do know that I want to help spread the message that tells people that even though people may have disabilities, they are still people with the same needs and wants as people without disabilities and should not be written off!! Let’s start showing the world who we are and be proud of this, believing in ourselves!! I have Cerebral Palsy, just I like I have brown hair and blue eyes. CP is not who I am but it is a part of me. Just like your diagnosis is a part of you but doesn’t define you-ignore the naysayers!!

SMA Farah is a sweet 2.5 year old baby girl that is fighting a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 1 (SMA). Farah was born a typical kiddo but began to have symptoms around two months old, things didn’t seem right but her doctor brushed away our worries. At 5 months old Farah was diagnosed with SMA. She was barely able to move except for tiny little hands. SMA is a degenerative muscle wasting disease which is not tested while in utero or on new born screenings. This cruel disease robs the child’s ability to crawl, sit, walk, eat and even breath on their own. Farah lost her swallow at five months old and requires to be fed through a gtube implanted in her tummy. There is currently no cure for SMA, however there is treatment which halts the progression of the disease. Farah is receiving treatment in the form of spinal injections every four months. As my Farah grows so do her needs. We are looking into a power chair in the near future which requires an accessible van that we currently do not have. We have included a link to a gofundme fundraiser for Farah in hopes of some support and to spread awareness about SMA.

Books that Enhances Inclusion Through Development of Compassion and Understanding The Adventures of KatGirl series is a collection of 4 stories, that helps educate children on several physical differences they may face through out their day. The first being The Adventures of KatGirl, about a young girl in a wheelchair who helps kids who are being bullied by using her super hero powers. In this first story the reader sees KatGirl's determination,strength, and positive outlook; in spite of those who doubt her abilities because she is in a wheelchair. She then lends a hand and uses her super powers to help the classmate who doubted her. He immediately apologizes and the two quickly become friends. This event changes the bully so much that he becomes KatGirl's side kick in following adventures. This story helps a child understand that first impressions and what you see on the outside is not the best form of judgment that you must take the time to get to know one another to really know what a person can do. Then there is The Adventures of KatGirl and the Birthday Party, in this story KatGirl helps a boy living with childhood obesity live out his dream to ride a horse, in spite of his classmates who poke fun at him and tell him he can't because he is too big. This story will teach a child that we are capable of anything if we just put our mind and heart into it. The Adventures of KatGirl and the Spelling Bee is the 3rd story in this collection. Now, we are introduced to Alicia Madison, a classmate who is living with deafness that longs to be a part of the school spelling bee. This dream is shattered by a classmate named Danielle Del Monaco who points out that Alicia being deaf will make it impossible for her to participate in the spelling bee. KatGirl, and her faithful sidekick Timmy do not stand for this and encourage Alicia to use her strength of sign language to participate in the school spelling bee. In the end Alicia, wins the school spelling be by spelling out the world Bullying while using the American Sign Language Alphabet. This particular tale not only teaches the reader that even though you may have an obstacle if you use your strengths and talents you can succeed in anything. This story also teaches them a fun new language and enhances their inclusion and compassion skills. Last in the series is The Adventures of KatGirl and the School Project that deals with the epidemic of racial bullying. In this story KatGirl reitterates the valuable lesson, that even though someone may look different we all have something special inside of us so we must look past the external and get to know one another and see if maybe we have something in common that we can form a friendship. This story teaches this by not only imaginative situations but relatable characters and even a splash of recent history. This story will make your child see the beauty in everyone. BRAND NEW BOOK: Pete the Private Eye - A Collection of Short Story Mysteries. This is a collection of 10 short stories are about a boy living with legal blindness that uses his cane, hightened sense of hearing, and the language of Braille to help solve mysteries for his friends, family, and even strangers. These stories will not only entertain your child and keep them on the edge of their seat wondering what is truly going on but it will also educate them on another form of disability that is rarely represented to children. These stories can also be enhanced by many activities that help a child understand the life of someone living with blindness thus increasing their compassion and inclusion towards those who are physically different.

Recovering from Spinal Cord Injury On July 7th, 2018 a bicycle accident caused me to be completely paralyzed from that waist down. After my injury, I was overwhelmed with grief and anger but my biggest fear was that I would spend the rest of my life mourning what I had lost. When I was in the ICU I made a promise to my partner that I would try to live a life that was so fulfilling that the story of my life would not be a tragedy but a story of triumph. I remind myself of this every day. It has been a year since I was injured and in just 12 months I have left the hospital, returned to work, learned to walk with leg braces, competed in 4 triathlons, won national championship medals in track and field and triathlon, learned to drive with hand controls and been on vacation with my family. Looking back on the last year I have felt more pain than I ever could have imagined but I have felt more pride as well. I will continue to fight to live a life that makes me happy because I believe that regardless of ability we can all achieve happiness.