00:00 My incurable condition turned me into a mermaid.
00:03 I have Chagramarie tooth.
00:05 It's a neurological disorder.
00:07 My feet don't listen to what my brain is telling them to do.
00:11 I can't really feel them, so I'll fall down.
00:13 When you first lose your ability to do things as you were,
00:17 there is a grieving period.
00:20 You've lost who you were before.
00:22 So I became a mermaid.
00:24 I do get judged and criticized.
00:26 I had a nurse tell me one time that she didn't understand
00:31 why my husband married me.
00:33 And I asked if I tricked him into marrying me.
00:36 Today, I have an underwater photo shoot in the tank,
00:45 so I need to look perfect.
00:47 My name is Helena.
00:48 I'm a professional mermaid.
00:51 I do a lot of events, large and small.
00:54 I do everything from birthday parties for little kids
00:58 to festivals and fairs.
01:01 I have probably spent $10,000 on my mermaid outfit.
01:06 My favorite mermaid tail is the one I currently use.
01:10 It's my signature.
01:11 It's shiny.
01:14 I have Chagramarie tooth.
01:16 It's a neurological disorder.
01:18 It affects my nerves.
01:20 My feet don't listen to what my brain is telling them to do.
01:23 I can't really feel them, so I'll fall down.
01:26 I have to majorly stay in my wheelchair because of it.
01:30 The makeup takes me about an hour because of my hands
01:34 sometimes shaking.
01:35 And then getting the tail on could be another hour
01:38 to half hour.
01:40 I was diagnosed at 14 years old.
01:43 I never even heard of it.
01:45 I didn't know anyone with CMT at all.
01:49 I felt pretty alone for a while.
01:52 About 10 years ago, I suddenly stopped being able to walk.
01:57 When you first lose your ability to walk or do things
02:01 as you were, there is a grieving period.
02:05 You've lost who you were before or a part of your body.
02:09 It was hard to adapt at first when I was losing my ability
02:14 to walk because I was very athletic.
02:17 I loved going on runs and hiking.
02:20 But then slowly, I started accepting who I was now.
02:25 And then I became a mermaid in my wheelchair.
02:29 I first got involved in the mermaid community
02:32 a little bit after losing my ability to walk.
02:37 I needed a costume that didn't involve walking,
02:41 so I was like mermaids.
02:42 And then I really enjoyed being a mermaid
02:45 and the way people reacted to me as a mermaid.
02:48 It was about me and not just about my wheelchair.
02:52 I could still participate and do all the things
02:55 everyone else was doing.
02:57 I could make it my own thing and work the way I wanted to.
03:02 And it's covered in glitter, so.
03:05 This one's the one that goes with Travel Dose for Park
03:07 Kit Benson.
03:08 Friends and family, they all support me or help
03:11 me do it and join me.
03:13 My name is Darren.
03:15 Helena is my wife.
03:16 We've been married for 11 years.
03:18 My name is Katya.
03:19 I am also a mermaid.
03:20 I've been a friend of Helena's for several years.
03:23 She's one of my besties.
03:24 Changing a mermaid tail is very difficult. It's a lot of work.
03:28 It's very hot.
03:29 You can't really move or bend or anything in there.
03:32 But I love the way it makes me feel.
03:36 I'm beautiful, and I love the kids when they see me.
03:39 I can see the lights in their eyes.
03:42 The thing I'm most proud of in my journey
03:45 is the way I found to include my disability in my mermaiding
03:50 with decorating my wheelchair with, like, giant seashells
03:53 and performing in it.
03:56 It's so cold.
03:58 I made this grotto upgrade during the pandemic
04:01 to look more like an enchanted grotto,
04:04 or a lagoon is what we call it.
04:06 My mermaid friends do like to join me.
04:08 They'll come.
04:09 They'll play.
04:10 We sit in there, and we'll play, like, catch with the kids
04:14 and have, like, an interactive mermaid playtime
04:18 at festivals and fairs.
04:19 And we wanted to make it magical-looking.
04:23 I do get judged and criticized online for being a mermaid
04:28 or for the wheelchair.
04:30 I'd get a lot of people making fun of me
04:33 and telling me to just stand up and stuff like that.
04:36 Sometimes I would, on TikTok, just make a little video
04:40 and make fun of it.
04:41 I think there are a lot of misconceptions for people
04:45 that are disabled, even from doctors.
04:48 I had a nurse tell me one time that she didn't understand
04:52 why my husband married me and asked if I
04:56 tricked him into marrying me.
04:59 A lot of people sometimes approach me and say
05:02 they'll pray for me or that I inspire them when I'm just
05:05 buying a carton of milk.
05:07 That can be a little awkward for me sometimes
05:10 when I'm just existing.
05:12 Today, I'm going to my mermaid photo shoot.
05:18 I love when she has photo shoots because it's an opportunity
05:20 for her to spread the awareness of her CMT
05:24 and mermaiding in general.
05:25 Also, a chance for the world to see how beautiful she is.
05:27 [LAUGHS]
05:29 This side is not rolled.
05:30 I think that's what's stuck.
05:31 She's just an amazing person.
05:33 She's witty, and she's amazingly considerate and compassionate.
05:37 I like working with her because she's also
05:38 a consummate professional.
05:41 This is the Cirque de Siren pod.
05:43 A tank is called Frigate.
05:45 It's 1,000 gallons.
05:47 I will use the photos for social media.
05:51 I'm very excited to be shooting in the tank today.
05:55 Mermaiding has changed my life.
05:57 It has made me more open, proud of who I am,
06:01 and more confident in myself.
06:04 Yes!
06:05 Oh, so pretty.
06:06 Other people who are disabled but are too scared to do this,
06:09 might be intimidated by the big professional mermaids
06:13 swimming around doing things.
06:15 I would tell them to mermaid in their own way
06:19 and their own styles, and not to compare yourself to other people.
06:24 Oh, we got a shot!
06:25 We got a shot!
06:26 Nice!
06:27 Photo shoot was really good.
06:29 We had lots of fun.
06:30 I think we got some really good photos.
06:33 Being a mermaid makes me feel happy.
06:36 I think I will retire from mermaiding
06:39 when it becomes too much for my disability.
06:42 But I'll always be a mermaid at heart, no matter what.
06:46 [MUSIC FADES OUT]
06:49 [MUSIC FADES OUT]
06:52 [MUSIC FADES OUT]
06:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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