00:00My disability is a C1, C2 spinal cord injury incomplete.
00:04Incomplete means that I gained some movement back.
00:07A doctor that used forceps when he was delivering me, that's what broke my spine.
00:12My right side is a lot stronger than my left side, but I'm able to just do as much as I can.
00:19Now she's about to be a mother.
00:21Some of the comments, I find them nasty.
00:23It's pretty irresponsible to have a baby when you're crippled.
00:27She needs help, but we're going to do whatever it takes.
00:29I'm just excited, just in general, just to have a baby.
00:31I just can't wait until we keep growing as a family.
00:35Jim, can you come help me?
00:37Sure.
00:38What are you doing?
00:39Open it, and then we can put them in.
00:44My disability is a C1, C2 spinal cord injury incomplete.
00:48So that means the very top of the spine that kind of connects to the neck.
00:52Incomplete means that I gained some movement back, feeling some of my diaphragm back,
00:58my right side is a lot stronger than my left side.
01:02But I'm able to just do as much as I can.
01:05It occurred because of a doctor that used forceps when he was delivering me.
01:10That's what broke my spine, unfortunately.
01:13Jimmy helps me a lot, mentally, physically.
01:17The great thing about Alyssa is she's very independent.
01:19She's able to use the restroom on her own.
01:21I work full time, and so she's home on her own when I'm at work.
01:25I just have to help her in the morning with getting ready, getting out of bed,
01:29help her get dressed really fast.
01:31Especially right now.
01:32Yeah.
01:33She was going to meet a girlfriend, a fiance and a wife, and now she's about to be a mother.
01:38I'm just excited just in general just to have a baby.
01:40My Instagram has helped me meet other people that have similar disabilities, other disabilities,
01:48just anyone.
01:50Also, moms now are following me because they want to see my journey of what's going to happen, how the baby is going.
02:02Some of the comments that I have, I read them and I find them nasty.
02:07There was one recently that said,
02:10Pretty irresponsible to have a baby when you're crippled.
02:14First, I don't even like the word crippled.
02:16Second of all, it's not even irresponsible.
02:18It's just me being a parent soon.
02:21And I mean, it's irresponsible to have a baby when you're doing other things you shouldn't be doing.
02:27That's what gets me just because I'm in a chair.
02:30I just laugh it off and then I block it.
02:33I don't let it affect me.
02:35Just the fact that we'll be two parents, attentive parents, good parents, like,
02:39you can't judge based off her physical limitations.
02:41No matter what, we're going to love the child, so we're going to do whatever it takes to care for it.
02:45Like, obviously, if she needs help, we're going to find a way to do it.
02:48You can't...
02:49It's just...
02:50You're not just going to be like, oh, she can't get him out of the crib or whatever?
02:53I guess we'll just leave him in the crib and let him keep crying.
02:55Yeah, it's just...
02:56Like, what do they think we're going to do?
02:57Like, just ignore the child?
02:58Like, oh, I forgot the baby needs to be fed.
03:00There's a lot of assumptions that I think I get, not even me, just people in general with disabilities.
03:05They're either not capable of doing anything.
03:08They sit at home and mope and just, like, feel sorry for themselves.
03:14They're not able to fall in love.
03:16They can't find someone.
03:18What I say to people who are judging are just, like, shove it.
03:22I love it.
03:23I don't take judgment to heart.
03:24Like, I just laugh sometimes because it's like, you're just going to sit there and judge.
03:28For what?
03:29Why does that make you feel any better?
03:31I'm very grateful for Alyssa.
03:32Just the fact that I met her and got to experience, like, these things I never would have experienced.
03:38And I just can't wait to keep growing as a family together.
03:52I'm sorry.
03:53Right.
03:54I didn't get me, I'm not sure.
03:55It just passed away.
03:56Right.
03:57There's a lot of things in the past.
03:58I didn't get me.
03:59I wasn't actually.
04:00I wouldn't go too early on because I'm going to go too late at all.
04:01I didn't get me.
04:02I don't think that even when I get that moment, I don't know what happened.
04:04I need to go too early on.
04:05Let's go.
04:06That's what you want.
04:07I wish I got a moment.
04:08It's a moment.
04:09I can't wait.
04:11You, I wish I got a moment.
04:14I'm going to show you.
04:15I'm going to show you.
04:16So, be careful.
04:18I can't wait.
04:19What's going to happen with you?
04:20I love you.
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