00:00I'm a queen on wheels.
00:01I was born with orate muscular dystrophy, and I'm the only one in South Carolina with
00:06my disease.
00:06At the time of my diagnosis, I was the number 96 in the whole world to have it.
00:10Today I'm going on my first blind date.
00:12I'm so tired of guys noticing my wheelchair and my disability first.
00:16I shouldn't have to pick between being beautiful and being disabled.
00:20A lot of men are not very open-minded.
00:23They'll be like, oh, can you have sex?
00:25And I'll be like, but can you have sex, sir?
00:28I'm getting ready for my blind date.
00:30I'm Nyla.
00:32I'm 22 years old.
00:33I live in Greenville, South Carolina.
00:35Today I'm going on my first blind date.
00:38I think this will be my first date in a long time, so I'm excited.
00:44I'm going to make sure I get all dolled up and everything.
00:46Dating hasn't been the best.
00:49Being in a wheelchair, it causes a lot of men to feel insecure.
00:53They always see my disability as a deal-breaker, but it's an advantage, honestly.
01:00Like, who doesn't want accessible parking?
01:02I mean, you're up close to the store.
01:04I'm really comfortable with who I am, and I'm okay with just showcasing my chair.
01:10I call it my rolling throne.
01:12I'm a queen on wheels.
01:19What's going through my mind right now is a lot.
01:23I'm very nervous, kind of wondering how he looks and wondering to expect about the date.
01:29My name is Ken Lewis.
01:31I am a senior accountant.
01:32What I'm hoping for out of the date is just a good experience, just building a relationship,
01:37maybe networking, maybe finding a sweetheart.
01:44Oh, hi.
01:45How are you now?
01:46I'm good.
01:46How about you?
01:47Nice to meet you.
01:48Nice to meet you.
01:49My name is Ken.
01:50Oh, nice to meet you.
01:51My name is Nyla.
01:52I'm getting situated right here.
01:54It would turn me off if he reacts negative about me being disabled or that he's trying
02:02to make it awkward.
02:03So what do you usually do for fun?
02:06Before the whole COVID, I used to like to travel around a little bit in the U.S., so
02:10yeah.
02:10But I applied for my passport so I can be able to travel outside the U.S.
02:14Oh, she's trying to get stamps out there.
02:16Yeah.
02:16Okay.
02:16What about you?
02:18I'm actually traveling to Colorado this weekend.
02:21Oh, nice.
02:21I have a photo shoot out there.
02:24I am also a part-time model.
02:26Oh, you model?
02:27I model too.
02:28Oh, hey.
02:30Man.
02:30We just got a lot in common.
02:32I'm telling you.
02:33What kind of modeling are you getting into?
02:35Oh, I just, well, I'm part of the modeling agency called Between.
02:40So my first gig was Savage Fenty.
02:43Yes.
02:44Oh, you're stepping out.
02:46Yeah.
02:46You're stepping out.
02:46So I've been doing a little bit of something, something.
02:49Yeah, you're doing, hey, you're doing your thing out there.
02:51Yeah.
02:51We're all going to end up.
02:53You're standing?
02:53When I was younger, I wanted to be a fashion designer.
02:55I was like, I'm going to be a doctor.
02:57I'm going to be all.
02:58I had so many dreams.
02:59So when I got bullied and then I had to go to therapy, and that's when I realized that
03:06I really wanted to go into psychology.
03:08I majored in psychology.
03:11I majored in psychology.
03:12Hmm.
03:12Okay.
03:13I really want to go into counseling, but I don't know.
03:16I kind of like go with the flow type person.
03:20So I kind of just see what life takes me.
03:23I remember one guy, he came up to me.
03:25He said, you should really yourself because nobody don't really likes you.
03:32Then you model.
03:33Then you about to graduate.
03:35Take a couple of notes.
03:37Matter of fact, we won't pay the pay for that.
03:38Go ahead.
03:39Go ahead.
03:39Take a couple of notes.
03:41I'm going to run to the bathroom for a quick second.
03:45My first impression is like, he's really great.
03:48He can make a great conversation.
03:50I think he's taking the fact that I'm in a wheelchair very well.
03:54The fact that he's not feeling creeped out and he's very comfortable.
04:00I do find him very attractive.
04:03I know.
04:05So when you first saw me, what you thought about me, you know, being in a wheelchair?
04:10Well, actually, your smile took me away from the wheelchair.
04:13I ain't going to lie, as soon as I walked in.
04:14But, you know, it's my first date with anybody that had any disorder.
04:19Ashley, what is your disorder?
04:20I have a rare form of muscular dystrophy called OREC.
04:23I'm the only one in the state of South Carolina with my disease.
04:26Oh, wow.
04:27Yeah, and at the time of my diagnosis, I would have numbered 96 in the whole world to have it.
04:31Well, let me tell you, you're rare.
04:33Yes, I'm rare, rare.
04:34There you go.
04:34You're rare.
04:35There you go.
04:36Hey, you got to look at the bright spots up.
04:38Yeah, I always say I'm one in a million, so.
04:40There you go.
04:41I call my wheelchair my rolling throne because, you know, I'm a queen and everything.
04:45There you go.
04:46I feel like when it comes to me, people never want to try.
04:49And if they do find attraction in me, they really try to see my wheelchair as the problem,
04:55but not realizing that, you know, it doesn't have to be a problem.
04:59It's just a life thing.
05:01A lot of men are not very open-minded.
05:04They kind of have a lot of questions.
05:06They make assumptions.
05:07They want to know too much before even trying to get to know me.
05:11They'll be like, oh, can you have sex?
05:13Can you do this?
05:14Can you do all that?
05:15And I'm like, yo, you don't even know my name.
05:19I always shut guys down.
05:20I'll be like, but can you have sex, sir?
05:24I really look for someone who's very gentle.
05:27I think that's very important.
05:29I met a lot of men that was gentle, but like, I feel like they try to hide it because
05:33they
05:33want to be like masculine and strong.
05:36Like, I like a man who knows how to be gentle and knows when to be strong and understand
05:40there's a balance.
05:41How about your dating life?
05:44Actually, I've been, uh, I was engaged at 21.
05:48You was engaged?
05:49Stuff starts stringing apart and, you know, and then she finally told me, okay, I wasn't
05:54ready when you asked.
05:55I just didn't want to make you sad.
05:56Split ways and then, you know.
05:58Yeah.
05:59I've been four years and be single, so.
06:02This is my first time ever being with anybody with a disorder.
06:05You know, but looking at you from right here, I can't even tell.
06:11It's telling you.
06:14Man, I got your hair done.
06:16Oh, yes.
06:16I got to say, listen.
06:17Look at that.
06:19Listen, I got to say it with my title.
06:21I call myself a disabled hottie, so.
06:23Period.
06:24I got to keep up with my title.
06:27You got to.
06:28Yes.
06:29I don't allow my disability to define me or hold me back.
06:33I just see it as, like, you know, it just cause limitations, some challenges.
06:38But, you know, I'm just going to jump over that and just keep going.
06:42A little do this again with you.
06:44Oh, yes.
06:44Most definitely.
06:45I had such a great time.
06:47The date went great.
06:49He was so amazing.
06:52We had a great conversation.
06:54His vibe was great.
06:55I really felt like he didn't really focus so much on my disability, and he really actually
07:01wanted to get to know me and my life.
07:03I would hope that he would love to see me again.
07:06The date went pretty good.
07:08It's better than what I expected, actually.
07:10I just met a great person.
07:13Her condition didn't change anything.
07:15I just really, I'd rather build a friendship relationship first and then see what we can
07:20build onto that and see what we can branch off.
07:23Do you think you'll meet up again?
07:26Actually, I think we will meet up because I did promise to take it out one more time.
07:30So, yeah, it's a good chance, a very good chance.
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