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The Beginning My name is Summer and in June 2018 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. The plan was to do Remicade infusions every 8 weeks, but this medication did not work. In July I was admitted to Cedars-Sinai where Dr. David Ziring, a Crohn's and Colitis specialist, works. It was here my diagnosis was changed to Crohn's Disease. We stopped the steroids and tried Stelara, another medication. The medication worked, just not on my colon. The doctors said that my colon was too far gone. In an emergency surgery, Dr. Phillip Fleshner took out my colon and gave me an ileostomy. Facing the World I was terrified to leave the hospital and go out into the real world with my ostomy bag. I didn't want to go to school, or even hang out with my friends because I was embarrassed. At first, I tried to hide my ileostomy and pretend that I didn't have it. However, as time went on I realized that it was extremely difficult to hide my ostomy. As I opened up to my friends about it, I found that I shouldn't be ashamed about something that saved my life. I became proud of my bag and grateful for it. Learning to Open Up I found that opening up about my illness and my ostomy bag was easiest when I told people about the medical facts. I didn't start with the details. At first I only spoke about the illness and what an ostomy bag is. I did not share about MY illness and MY ileostomy bag. Slowly, I worked my way into telling my friends and family about how I was being affected by everything. I told them how severe my case was and about my acute onset. I found it easiest to slowly work my way into telling my story and the details about my journey. Finding Confidence and Happiness It's not easy living with a disability and telling others about it. However, your disability is part of you. It might be hard to open up to others about your disability, but I have found that being confident and proud has made my disability much more easy to cope with. By opening up about my illness and my ostomy, I was able to start living my life normally again. While I was hiding it, I found myself starting to isolate myself from friends, family, school, sports, and many other things. By embracing it, I was able to enjoy the things that made me happy. If I am going to be honest, having a disability sucks, but I’ve learned that you can’t change it. If you are struggling or hiding a disability or something else, I encourage you to find confidence and happiness with it. It makes it a whole lot easier!

In the beginning...... I want to pass along a story of a journey and awakening, one which Myself and many others were part of. My BFF isn't what you'd call normal by any sense of the word. She is extraordinary, if not unconventional. In the spring of 2017, we embarked on a journey that had begun in earnest 12 months prior. But the result of that journey was an unexpected and welcome surprise and I think it's best explained in her own words. so without further ado, the words of my BFF, Grace Brulotte AKA: Gracie Lou Whatwontshedo........ Heaven or Heli My mother always taught me it was unladylike to swear. And yet, with the gradual whir of the helicopter rotors I went through every swear word I knew, and probably a few made up ones too. When one believes, whether founded in the truth or not, that death is too close for comfort, the mind tends to race as far away from reality as it can. She was with me then, whispering to dive far beyond my comfort zone. I don’t always want to listen to her, but in this case, I had no choice. I could risk being decapitated by the razor-sharp blades of the helicopter in trying to escape or face my fears like the mature woman I pretended to be and stay strapped in my seat. Reality has the ability to make a fool out of the best of us though because the very moment my winged transportation left the ground I forgot all my melodramatic absurdities. Like a phoenix rising to meet the sun, so was my soul breaking free from its bondage. I can only describe the feeling as taking a breath of life for the very first time. Acting like an adult being the farthest thing from my mind, I began to laugh and cry all at once as if I was rediscovering my childhood innocence and wonder again. She was right, as is usually the case. Revelations I can honestly say that the excitement of the helicopter taking off is rivaled by the anticipation of it landing. The doors flew open, and myself and my companions carefully lowered ourselves into the waist deep snow of the mountain peak we had just been set upon. And then came the revelation… I found myself perched on the top of a mountain, whose mysteries were yet to be awakened. My heart was immediately overwhelmed by the visions of majestic beauty that were before me. Light has always been a fascination of mine, but when it is cast on snow of the purest whites, it seems to dance and sparkle like no earthly diamond could display. These blankets of snow were seemingly untouched by any living creature. It seemed as though we were in a different world, one where sorrows and hardships could not reach us. The peaceful quiet of this mountain haven is a sensation I to this day struggle to describe. If I were to try, the only conclusion I can make is that the sights and sounds must be as close to heaven as one can imagine. Powder Eights My musings were interrupted by the realization that it didn’t matter if I would be satisfied with just the helicopter ride and the view. She wouldn’t let me daydream all day, not when there were adventures to be had. I can remember heaving in deep breaths as I watched my guide float effortlessly through his first few turns. My heart began to thump, my chest tightened, and as I held in my final breath, I imagined the line I was going to choose. I had heard the term “powder eights” used in the skier world, and though in general I try to be a nonconformist, in this case I had to know what they felt like. Exhaling one final time, my courage rose up within me, and I dropped in for my first carve in the snow. From that point on I will always associate cutting in a new line on skis with having butterflies in the stomach. There is nothing more satisfying than carving into the untouched terrain before you. I had hoped that my first few turns would feel like floating on air or bouncing on fluffy clouds, and I was overjoyed to find that they were. Clouds of snow formed around me as I glided from side to side, tickling my cheeks and forming a smile on my lips. I found my rhythm with my guide, and echoed his movements in perfect harmony. And when we both stopped, unable to wipe the gigantic grins from our faces, we looked back on the magical figure eights we had just drawn in the snow. The helicopter glided over them as if to approve our artistic efforts. Lessons Learned My ski partner, the man whose heart beats to the same rhythm as mine, gave out a light chuckle which only reflected what everyone was feeling. My body may not have left the sit ski which I was securely strapped into, my physical limitations may not have been altered, but my soul in that moment was truly freed. I had for as long as I could remember chased the feeling of freedom. I learned a great lesson that day, the value of which transcends simply skiing on a mountainside. My body may still be bound, but my heart and soul is free to have experiences without limits. My powder eights in the snow were proof enough that you don’t need an able body to experience life’s pleasures. Just an able mind and the tenacity to see it through. The Inner Lou It was in that experience, one I will never forget as long as I live, that I really grew to appreciate her. All my life I had been told what I could and could not achieve. And yet, her voice was always there, beckoning me to a version of myself I could scarcely recognize. This is the magic of Gracie Lou Whatwontshedo. Who is this mythical creature whose influence challenges the souls of mere mortals like myself? To put it simply, Gracie Lou or whatever name is chosen to represent it, is the undeniable spirit we have within us. A spirit that tells us we can go beyond what is deemed impossible. It is the voice that calls us to be courageous, to be tenacious, to achieve our dreams and reach for the stars. In whatever circumstance, whether it be fighting a personal demon or finding the strength to be a pioneer, we all have the capacity to be exactly what we want to be. Though it took me a long time to recognize her presence, I have come to realize that Gracie Lou was apart of me all along. She is always there, daring me to find myself through the experiences I have. And so I continue to seek adventures beyond my limitations. With Gracie Lou in my heart, there really is no telling what I’ll do. In Closing By now you all have come to the realization that my BFF has lived her entire life with a disability. She was born with Arthrogryposis and Scoliosis, but has yet to let that limit her desire to live life to its fullest and continue to prove that nothing is impossible, no barrier insurmountable. She has a list of accolades to her name that would make you think she is just as able-bodied as the next gal. Journalist, Author, Founder of 2 Non-Profits, President of a Non-profit, First female Tandem Sit Skier to Heli Ski in Canada, Presenter to the Senate, Paralympic Reporter and the list goes on. Oh, did I mention she's only 22 years old?..... don't let age or disability prevent you from living the fullest life possible. I am proud to call her my BFF and be a part of her journey.

Meet Anna After a nearly three year odyssey of specialist appointments and medical testing, Anna was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease at age four. Her symptoms are progressive and similar to those of Muscular Dystrophy. Living with a progressive neuromuscular disease has not dampened Anna's positivity. This little girl's spirit shines through with love, kindness, and humor. Everywhere she goes - school, therapy appointments, doctors' offices, church, playgrounds, etc. - Anna meets friends and brightens peoples' days. Of course, as her mother, it is absolutely difficult to watch Anna lose strength as her disease takes hold. Our family's goal for her is independence and we work toward that each day. We'd love to connect with other families with young CMT patients.

This is my story My name is Ariana (@ari_pioquinto). I am 30 years old and I’m Mexican. Four years ago, I had a toxic relationship with my boyfriend. I suffered physical and verbal abuse. Everybody said I must leave him but I didn’t. One night, during a discussion, he pushed me and I fell from the balcony. Due to the shock, I don’t remember what happened, but it happened and I can’t change the situation. I broke my spine and had two surgeries (3 weeks ago I had another one) and I have spinal cord injury. Doctors said they are not sure if I will walk again or not, but I never accepted to never walk again. I finished that relationship, and it was so hard to be alone, to not walk, to be in a bed for 4 months, to be in a chair… but the worst and most difficult part was to know and to understand, that if I had left my boyfriend, this would not have never happened. Not only was my spine broken, but so was my heart, life & dreams too. my disability filters bad people Nobody wanted to date me, and I was so sad because of that. I was going to a psychiatrist because I needed help. I took pills for depression and anxiety. During those 3 years, I was growing like never before, I learned to love myself, to respect myself, to enjoy my life, to stop giving to all the wrong people. I lost all my “friends,” I lost my work, and my life by the beach, but I gained so much more. I’m closer to my family, I met amazing people who I can call FRIENDS. I learned that my disability is a kind of filter for bad people, and only the good and intelligent people come close to me. Hard work pays off I went to physical therapy, gave it my best, did all I could and more. I started to use a wheelchair, and after hard work, I started to walk. Now I’m taking small steps, not long walks yet, but I’m on my feet! I know I have so much more to do to get back to walking again like before. I’m not sure how good I will be, but I’m sure I will go farther than before. People with disabilities can have a beautiful life I have an online shop and with the support of my family, I’m getting better every day. I love to travel and never stopped doing it. Last February I met a guy on the beach in Mexico. The most wonderful man. We are so in love and we want to get married! I want to tell to all the women in the world that they don’t deserve bad words, bad treatment or physical abuse from their boyfriend. We are more than a girlfriend, more than a “doll” to do whatever they want. We are humans, we have feelings, we must have the freedom to do whatever makes us happy. With respect, love, and communication we can have the best relationship in the world! But please girls, if you are suffering from abuse, go away! Don’t wait until something bad happens like what happened to me. Or worst, don’t wait until they kill you. I will never give up and I would like to help women to understand what “abuse” can do. I want to help all disabled people to see we are strong and help them to understand we can do whatever we want. We can have a beautiful life, full of happiness and love.

A Rough Beginning that Eroded a Smooth Course. Hi my name is Oliver Johnson and I'm from England. I have a form of Spina Bifida caused by a Lipomyelomeningocele (a tumor that tethered my spinal cord until I had it removed when I was 3 years old). I used to walk, then as time went by, I realized I would need to use a wheelchair as my legs weren’t up to the job. Like any child in this situation, I was confused, afraid and frustrated. However, whenever my chin started to dip I always had good support from those around me to keep my head held high; to focus on all the positive things in my life and to see how I am still so fortunate and blessed. I live every day looking forwards, onwards and upwards knowing that it doesn’t end here, it’s just the beginning should I choose to make the most of the life I have been given and fulfill my potential. I encourage everyone to do the same. One way I do this is by being a positive role model to the disabled children I work with in a school environment and also educating adults and businesses through my disability equality and awareness training services. We can’t cure every disability with therapy or a scalpel, but we can cure a sad face with love and a smile. Attitude is Everything I have always believed that in order to get something done, we must first look at ourselves to see what we can do to achieve our goal. The world around us is adapting, it is improving. But it's still not there yet. Improvements in accessibility, equality laws and people's attitides are improving and that's great. Fantastic. They are not what's going to fundamentally carry us through to where we want to be however. Disabled people have achieved great things without the support systems we have today. And disabled people will continue to do so without fair and equal oppurtunites. But why should they?...How will they? For one good reason. The lack of equality, the unfairness in life and its trials and tribulations for disabled people are exaclty what spurs us on to succeed. To triumph despite difficulty, is far more impressive than being handed victories on a plate. In the sporting world, when the underdog defeats the superior opponent, people love it. It get's more attention, news coverage and praise. This is because as people, we experience difficulty and appreciate our achievements more so when the odds are against us. This is especially true for people with disabilites. However, every day we succeed. Every day we triumph. Every day we are victorious. The world will continue to get better, but that hunger for success and proving our doubters wrong will never go away. There will always be people who doubt us and will say we cannot fulfil our dreams. But we must take that negativity and turn it into our focus, our driving force to show to everyone that we can achieve whatever we wish for ourselves. It took me a long time to have this attitude. I was a happy child. I was loved, protected, cared for. It was only as I got older as a teenager, that I started taking more responsibility, fighting my own battles and began coming to terms with how my life would be, that I realised my battles had been fought for me up until now, and it was up to me to decide how I was going to view my future after having a taste of what the real world was like. It was never easy, it's never meant to be. There were times I would scream into my pillow, throw my wheelchair across the room out of frustration knowing I depended on it. Or even just cry. But was that getting me anywhere towards where I wanted to be? No. My problem was, as many teenagers are, I was too self-absorbed in my own life, my own problems and feeling sorry for myself. The key to this changing was realising that in the world, there were people who's lives were far more difficult than mine. Maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally I came to see how people were far more disabled than I actually was. They didn't have access to the same experiences, love, joy and oppurtunites that I had. Therefore, I decided that if there are people out there who's lives are more difficult than mine, what do I have to moan about really? If they were in my situation compared to their own, how grateful would they be just to have a roof over their heads at night, food on the table and people that love them. It turned out with the right perspective, I wasn't that disabled after all. It was more the world around me. So, I decided to take on the world. Dreams Fulfilled by Actions From that moment, I set out my goals, and I started to make things happen for myself, knowing that it is up to me to fulfil my dreams and I cannot expect others to do things for me. Yes, I have had assistance. But who hasn't had someone to thank for helping them along their way? The way we should view assistance as disabled people is like a crutch, not a self-driving car. It's there to take some of the weight off of our shoulders to allow us to independantly move forward in the direction we were already going, not to do all of the work for us. There is much more pride to be had in doing something for yourself than having someone else do it all for you. But it's all very well saying things like this, anybody could. The proof is in the pudding as I practice what I preach and endorse this mentality: To date I have: Visited 25 countries and counting Been scouted for Paralympic level wheelchair basketball and swimming Gained a qualification as a Teaching Assistant and worked in a school Learned to drive a car using push pull hand controls Set up my own Disability Consultancy business Professionally performed in front of audiences as a singer These are just a few of the achievements I have made in my life so far. They have been far from easy to accomplish, some have already been adapted for me, others I have had to adapt myself. But I have done them and will continue to do so knowing that it's not easy as this is what makes me happy. I do not intend to give up any time soon as I know the possibilities that are in store for me are endless. They are for each and every one of us should we choose to think the right way, and act upon it. My Mission Statement If there's one thing that I have learned about me and my life so far, it's that I am very stubborn. Sometimes for the worse, but most of the time for the better. I have been encouraged to make the most of my situation and I therefore make it my goal to share my perspective and experiences with others, because I believe my purpose is not to be the one always asking for help, but to be the one to provide it. We can only work with the cards we've been dealt with... that's only until you play the game and pick up another card. Except in this game, you get to choose how you win. www.handichap.co.uk

Laughing at myself daily Hey everybody! My name is Laura Beck (@anhonestquad ). I was in a car wreck Nov 28, 2016, 5 minutes before my husbands birthday. We hit a puddle on the interstate which sent our car hydroplaning, flipping three times and hitting a tree. The tree jammed the roof of the car into my head which crushed my c-6 spine. I have limited use of my wrists, no use of my fingers or palms, and I am paralyzed from the chest down. I am in chronic pain daily, over my entire body, and have learned to “zen” through each day. Some days are worse than others. I fight the demon of “can’t” daily as this injury breeds thoughts of what I cannot do. I am constantly setting new goals, and working to conquer what I can. My husband, Jacob is the best gift I have ever had in this life, and I absolutely could not be as positive as I am without him. A lot of my fighting is not just for me, but for him. We are planning to save and travel the US for an undetermined amount of time starting next year with our two fur children. We are going to outfit a van and make it accessible so that I can drive while Jacob works. We’re ready for it be a challenging, crazy, adventure. I strive to stay positive, to have fun and laugh daily— but there are bad days. I fight so so hard to not let those bad days linger and fight to keep looking forward and doing my very best every day.

The Day I Was Shot My name is Fabio and I am 29 years old from São Paulo. On 04/14/09, I arrived home early from work. My girlfriend at the time had come to my house. I used my bike to take her home. Out of nowhere came a young boy, armed, telling me that this was an assault, so I turned on my motorcycle alarm. I had no reaction time. I lift my hand, a simple movement, enough for him to shoot me. My luck was that a neighbor was sick and in her house. She came fast to help me. The ambulance was called but a car passed and my neighbor asked them to take me to the hospital because I was a good boy, a family worker. I would not survive if I lost a lot of blood. My family did not deserve to see my dead body later. I was on death's door When I arrived at the hospital all the professionals I needed were there. I was in a cardiac arrest for 25 seconds. I was at heaven's door and I came back, I was in a coma for two weeks. I was all swollen, breathing & feeding through tubes & I had a trach. I felt the presence of God, my parents are evangelicals, I was raised going to church, but I never felt that I was in a cult. Recovery I recovered quickly. I stayed in the hospital for a month and a half. When I returned home I felt like I was gone, my world had transformed completely. The first year was more difficult. I felt like a burden for my family, I was depressed, I did not want to leave, I was alone at home in a dark room watching TV, I was a fish out of the water, and felt all my dreams were over until I woke up to life again. I started to leave the house with friends, travel, date, got married, separated, etc, finished studies. I had so many experiences & adventures that when I look back my best memories are in the wheelchair. I am very happy, and the wheelchair has taught me so much. I am a better person I was before the accident.

There's no such thing as "Can't" Christian was stillborn and it took 23 minutes of resuscitation to start his heart. He took his first breath at 24 minutes old. Due to the lack of oxygen for this prolonged time, he suffered a brain injury which caused severe brain damage. His brain was cooled and he was placed on a ventilator to try and save his life, He was given less than 1% chance of coming out of the coma but defied all the odds and miraculously pulled through. As a result of the brain damage, he has since been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and is registered severely sight impaired. Those early months we were told lots of things he would struggle to achieve and lots of things he wouldn’t be able to do at all. We made a promise to Christian back then that we would push all those “can'ts” aside and focus on what he could do and encourage and push his development forward in every way we could. Christian excels at everything he does We did lots of research and joined some support groups where we met other families. We took Christian to hydrotherapy, conductive education, sure start centers, signing classes, singing classes, dancing and drama and he plays for a cerebral palsy football team. He has recently been accepted into an amazing model and acting agency for children and adults with disabilities or differences called Zebedee Management. We couldn’t be prouder of him :) He has amazed us with his progress and his positive attitude and determination. Although his development is delayed he can now say a few words, sign many more words, stand holding on and walk with a frame amongst other things. These are all milestones we didn’t know if he would reach and he’s already there at just 3 years old. He is the most sociable and affectionate little boy with the biggest smile, he has a real cheeky character and brings sunshine and joy into each day we spend together.

#1: WHY TRY TO STAND OUT WHEN YOU YOU WERE BORN TO BE DIFFERENT Why try to fit in when you were born to stand out? If I learned anything growing up with a disability it was that you shouldn’t give a damn what others think. Yes, there will always be that one who gets a kick out of bullying you, but they’ll grow out of it. Ditch the judgemental lot and start excepting you for who you are. #2: ONE DAY YOUR DREAMS WILL COME TRUE Stay focused, believe in yourself and have faith. One day your dreams will come true You can sit back and feel sorry for yourself or you can get up and do something about it. Having a disability doesn’t mean you can't fulfill your dreams. If anything it makes you stronger in the process of achieving that dream. #3. DON'T BE AFRAID OF TRYING SOMETHING NEW Don’t be afraid of trying something new. Take baby steps if need be but always remember to enjoy the ride and live life to its fullest. You’ll only regret the things you never did #4: ADJUST YOUR MINDSET AND KEEP SMASHING IT Adjust your mindset and keep smashing it. Feeling sorry for yourself never helps anyone, I can tell you that. Just think, however hard you have it, there is always going to be someone there who has it ten times as bad. Stay positive. #5. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY Choose your friends wisely. Having a bunch of people in your life can be great, however, what would you rather, a load of people who don’t really know much about you or a few who you know you can rely on? I know what I'd prefer. #6: BE CONFIDENT Be confident. Too many days are wasted comparing ourselves to others and wishing something we aren’t. Everybody has his or her strengths and weaknesses. It's only when you accept who you are that you will truly succeed. #7: IT'S NOT A RACE It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop. It's not a race to finish first, we all have our own ways of getting to where we are meant to be. Some may get there sooner than others but if we all thrive to be our best, we will get there one day. #8: STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF Stop doubting yourself; just remember how far you have come. Remember all the things you have faced, the battles you have won and all the fears you have overcome. #9: NEVER GIVE IN Never give in. Learning something new might be a challenge at first,t but if you carry it through it may be one of the best things to happen.

What is Ataxia? Hi, my name is Rachel and I'm 16 years old. I have a very rare disease called spinocerebellar ataxia type 13. It affects my balance, coordination and fine motor skills mainly. As this is a neurological condition it makes me tire more quickly, so school is hard for me. Getting up early, spending 7 hours at schools and doing 2-3 hours at homework. I have a scribe at school because writing is difficult. I couldn't really play with 'Legos' growing up (and still can't) because of my fine motor skills. At the time I just thought it was hard for everyone but I didn't understand why everyone loved it. I wanted to play with it because I was creative and liked making my own things (I still do today), but I could only play with it for 15 mins before my fingers would give up. Tying buttons is also difficult for me. When I fiddle with small things like Lego, my tremor gets really bad. An example of my poor coordination is when I try to plug my charger into my phone or when I plug my memory stick into the computer. Another thing I find difficult is when I try to kick a ball, it would rarely go to the person in front of me, it could go in any direction! Maybe it's because I'm focusing so hard just to kick the ball, I forget to aim. You might ask would I like to be 'normal'? I say no. Ataxia makes me who I am. I am very grateful for what I can do, my ataxia could be a lot worse. If I didn't have a disability I wouldn't have met all the amazing people I know and most importantly I wouldn't have got Justin, my wonderful stability assistance dog. He helps my balance and walks with greater ease. He also has boosted my confidence and self-esteem. I couldn't imagine life without him. I love him so much. In life, people will have it better than you and people will have it worse than you. What you have, or what you don't have to determine your happiness. For example, if you're rich it doesn't mean you'll be happy. You have to choose happiness. even though sometimes it might be hard. Be grateful for what you have. Appreciate the little things in life.

My Disability I was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, (OI), at birth when doctors noticed immediately that I was born with a fractured femur. 'OI' is more commonly known as a brittle bone condition, and X-rays showed that I had multiple fractures while still in the womb that were healing. Throughout my childhood, I broke so frequently that I lost count. My breaks mostly occurred in my femurs and ribs. By the time I was 18, I had metal rods in both femurs, both tibias, and down my spine to prevent curvature and fractures. As an adult, I've become stronger and I break much less. I've been a full-time manual wheelchair user since age 3 and I get around pretty well! Because of OI, I also have a moderate hearing loss in both ears. I received my first set of hearing aids when I entered the workforce and they have made a world of difference! Disability pride I attended an elementary school for kids with disabilities. During these early years, having many friends with a wide variety of disabilities, I learned that we all have strengths and weaknesses and that the world works really well when we come together and support each other with our unique strengths. I learned how to live with a disability because I saw others around me doing it too. Because of my disabled friends, I learned about wheelchair sports, accessible recreation programs, accessible transportation, the latest in wheelchair innovations and accessible technology. I learned from my disabled friends how to climb onto countertops, carry my books, push with my elbows, bump myself down curbs, and the list goes on. I learned that different and awkward can still work pretty darn well and is actually okay and normal. And with all this, I learned confidence, compassion, and humility. I developed a strong sense of self and sense of pride and I took this foundation with me when I entered my neighborhood high school of 2000 students, and as I went on to University and Grad School, interviews, dating and now in my career. My career Having had so much personal experience with orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists as a child, I expressed to my parents early on that these were career fields I was interested in. My parents always had the highest expectations of me. They saw my strenghts and knew there was much I could excel in, while also being realistic with things that might be challenging. They helped me realize that a career dealing with large, heavy limbs might have too many physical demands for my small body, and instead they encouraged me to find other, similar opportunities that I could really excel in. And so, I learned of speech-language pathology - still a helping profession and in the medical field, but without the same physical demands. In 2010 I completed a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and I've now been working for over 8 years as a Speech-Language Pathologist with adults recoving from stroke, in a rehabilitation centre. I absolutely love the work I do and feel that my own experiences as a past patient allow me to build genuine rapport with those who are now my patients. Meeting my husband I married my husband in 2013 after meeting online in 2006. He doesn't see past my wheelchair or my disability because they are part of me; they are not all of who I am, just like no single feature is all of who I am, but my wheelchair and disability have undoubtedly shaped the person I am today, and my husband sees that, appreciates that and loves that. He loves all that is me. Accessible travel My husband and I share a passion for traveling. Trip planning has become a serious hobby for me. I've touched my wheels down in Japan, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, Italy, England, Costa Rica and throughout much of the Carribean, Canada, and the USA. I enjoy spending my hours researching accessible vacations and am in the process of creating a blog to share my experiences. The beauty of this big wide world should be accessible to everyone and I want to help others find it! I am in the process of creating an accessible travel blog, so stay tuned! Staying active I got my driver's license when I was 18 and had my vehicle modified with hand controls, a big cushion so I could see over the steering wheel with a robotic arm. The robot arm sits in the trunk and extends out to the driver's side door, picks up my wheelchair, and puts it away in the trunk, all with a touch of a button! When I was 10 years old I joined a synchronized swimming team. I loved the water; my body was able to move freely with no dangerous impact. I loved the music, the dance, the creativity, and choreography. Synchronized swimming is such an adaptable sport. I was able to create a routine that was suited to my abilities. I also appreciated the health benefits. The cardio work-out, the stretching, muscle strengthening, and respiratory work-out were so good for my body. When I became engaged, my now husband and I signed up for ballroom dancing classes! We found an instructor who had experience teaching wheelchair ballroom dance and with his help we created a dance that we performed at our wedding. I am dedicated to keeping my body moving to the best of its ability!

Life With One Arm My name is Faith, but you can also call me Fefe. I am here because I was born missing my right arm. I do not have a crazy story, I just popped out this way! I have been on Earth for 22 years and have enjoyed having one arm pretty much every step of the way. I am currently in university studying civil engineering and have my own online health and wellness business. Life with one arm has not always been easy nor fun. I have been through some really dark times of self-doubt, self-criticism, extremely low self-confidence, and so much more. However, the one-armed life has allowed me to enter so many different worlds and gain many beautiful perspectives. I honestly can not imagine my life with two arms. I think I would be a very different person. Sometimes I wondered if my Parents knew I Only Had One Arm With that being said, I have learned to adapt quite well to the various challenges of life. Growing up, I was taught that having one arm was a fact, not an excuse and to always just make it work. I owe a huge thank you to my parents for raising me with an independent mindset. They treated me just like any other kid, so much so that I sometimes wondered if they realized I had one arm. I am really excited to be sharing my story with the world. My whole life I have pretty much stayed in the shadows and tried not to bring attention to my missing arm. But those days are over as my heart has been telling me to help others embrace their differences. I am so stoked to connect with those who are in the same boat and with those who I can help! My biggest advice is to ALWAYS believe in yourself. Be the captain of your ship. You CAN do anything. I am truly an open book and have found lots of tricks to maneuver in this world with one arm. Motivating and helping others truly brings me joy so please feel free to reach out to me anytime.