00:0018 years ago, I lost 80% of my face, my nose, my cheeks, my smile, over and lower eyelid,
00:08and both were my ears.
00:10My name is Joshua Dixon, and this is my story.
00:13When I was eight years old, I was attacked by my family's two pit bulls, and it was just
00:18the ordinary day of coming home from school, entering in my parents' backyard just the
00:22way that I've always did.
00:24When I entered the yard, he bolted out.
00:26He was snarling at me, but I didn't think of it as my life would change.
00:34When I slipped on ice, that's when the attack happened, that's when the mauling happened.
00:38The girl dog, which was my dog, she sacrificed her life to save mine.
00:44I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her, because I knew the boy dog instinctively was trying
00:48to kill me.
00:49In two minutes, I lost everything.
00:51My dad rescued me, and I went to the hospital where I had a 26-hour surgery.
00:57They put me in a medically-induced coma while they did extensive surgeries on my face.
01:04And then I woke up, learning how to walk, needing to learn how to walk, talk, write, eat again,
01:11relearning life all over again.
01:13Not even remembering the accident.
01:15But once I did, I was scared, terrified, traumatized, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder,
01:24having flashbacks and nightmares.
01:26But it didn't stop me from my recovery.
01:29And I don't hate pit bulls.
01:30I don't hate dogs.
01:31I can't hate something that God gives life to me.
01:34I also don't like when people are mean to me.
01:36The way that I look is outside of my control.
01:39This world has enough perfect people in it, but it needs more kindness and more care.
01:44So throughout the years, throughout my own struggle with mental health, through body positivity,
01:50struggling with body dysphoria, I had to really spend time, uncomfortable time, learning to
01:56love myself in the mirror, learning to love the way that I look, learning to love my scars,
02:01being able to love the way that life is now.
02:04And I use my purpose today to share my story with the world, to be able to add kindness,
02:10love, and admiration to this world, something that this world needs more of, being able to
02:14know that it's okay to be yourself, and it's okay to feel human.
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