- 6 hours ago
00:00 - Introduction
01:33 - Amaya & Caudal Regression Syndrome
08:44 - Katelynn & Treacher Collins Syndrome
16:14 - Deborah & Phocomelia
22:57 - Ashley's Treacher Collins & Dealing With Bullies
30:07 - Ren & Amelia Disorder
37:31 - Maddie & Jordan's Paralympic Journey
44:47 - Zizipho's Phocomelia & Dating
01:33 - Amaya & Caudal Regression Syndrome
08:44 - Katelynn & Treacher Collins Syndrome
16:14 - Deborah & Phocomelia
22:57 - Ashley's Treacher Collins & Dealing With Bullies
30:07 - Ren & Amelia Disorder
37:31 - Maddie & Jordan's Paralympic Journey
44:47 - Zizipho's Phocomelia & Dating
Category
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FunTranscript
00:00Our daughter was born without legs and ears.
00:02Amaya is only two years old and has had seven surgeries.
00:06Three of those were just in the first six weeks of her life.
00:10She's a fighter.
00:12I had a jaw and my tongue blocks my airway from my mouth.
00:15It's hard for me to chew and breathe on my own.
00:18Kids will start picking on me.
00:19They will call me names like frog or alien.
00:22When I went there on TikTok, the trolls appear on my comment section.
00:27Negative comments got in really, really hard.
00:29I was born with no arms and people have said I look like a T-Rex.
00:34We both have limb differences and we're both Paralympic athletes.
00:39I contracted meningitis when I was three years old.
00:42I was only given 2% chance of survival and they had to amputate both of my legs to save
00:47my life.
00:48I was born without my left forearm.
00:50When I was younger, I was picked on and I was often called a monster.
00:54I was born without no ears, no tickles and a receding jaw.
00:58I've had over 30 operations.
01:01I have my jaw broken three times.
01:04I was born without hands and elbows.
01:08There's things I can and can't do.
01:09Most things I can do, just in my own way, just a little more difficult than others.
01:14I was born with a congenital deformation called for camellia lower limbs.
01:18I am missing a left arm and my left leg is shorter than the right leg.
01:25I was born without hands.
01:26Everything you do is adapting to your environment to live in a world that was not designed for you.
01:33Hi.
01:34Say hi, Mommy.
01:35Good morning.
01:37Here.
01:40Amaya was born with caudal regression syndrome that affects the lower part of the spine and spinal cord.
01:46So that's the reason for her not having legs.
01:49She had cleft palate.
01:51She has a tethered spinal cord, small kidneys, small bladder, and she was also born with microtia.
01:58So her outer ears are malformed and she doesn't have open ear canal.
02:02So she is hard of hearing and she wears a hearing aid.
02:05We use spoken English to communicate with her, but we also use sign language as well.
02:09Amaya, want more?
02:12She's like not interested.
02:15Want more sausage?
02:18Yeah, we speak to her in a lower tone because that's what she hears more easily without her hearing aid
02:25on.
02:25She can hear like muffled noises.
02:28It sounds like she's basically underwater.
02:30Like that's how she hears when she doesn't have her hearing aid on.
02:34Let her do it.
02:36Good job.
02:37Come on.
02:40Get a crawl on my mommy.
02:42So when and how were you first made aware that Amaya would be born different?
02:46So I went for my 20-week anatomy scan and they were like, yeah, no growth at all.
02:51Like we don't see legs at all.
02:52And so I had a breakdown in the hospital.
02:56We were definitely worried when we found out that she was going to be born with no legs.
03:01We didn't know the extent of her condition while I was pregnant.
03:04So as soon as she was born and we found out, you know, exactly what was going on,
03:07we were definitely worried about the future.
03:10When she was born, she wasn't breathing.
03:12So they were trying to put on a ventilator so she could breathe.
03:16And they were having difficulty with that because she had cleft palate.
03:20She had a foot that was like attached to her body and then we had to have that amputated
03:25because it was causing a lot of pain.
03:27And then when she was six weeks, she had a surgery on her jaw.
03:30They placed hardware in her jaw to pull her jawbone forward so she's able to breathe.
03:37That was a big surgery, really scary.
03:41And then we have one coming up.
03:43We are nervous about the spinal cord surgery that she has coming up.
03:47It's to release the spinal cord from Amaya's spine.
03:52It's kind of a big surgery.
03:53It's going to be a dangerous and really expensive surgery.
03:56We do have a GoFundMe for Amaya surgery just to kind of help out.
04:03We don't know, you know, how long we'll be missing work.
04:05It's really difficult to balance everything when we go to surgery.
04:10It's just a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of money involved
04:15whenever it comes to Amaya having surgery.
04:18It will hopefully be the last one that we have to have ever.
04:26This is all she does all day long, just back and forth, back and forth.
04:31So Amaya goes to therapy four times a week.
04:33She has physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and feeding therapy.
04:39Physical therapy, we work on her range of motion and her mobility.
04:43The goal is to get her to pull up on top of this
04:48and into a sitting position like as if it were a chair.
04:55It's okay.
04:57You don't like it? Okay.
04:59You don't have to.
05:00We're happy with the progress that she's making.
05:03And we have to be cautious with her because she like knows no limits.
05:06She'll do whatever she can.
05:07She'll climb on anything, under things.
05:09So we have to really watch her.
05:12All this therapy that we work on every day of the week will help her, you know,
05:17grow into an independent person.
05:20And I'd love for her to just not have to rely on anyone.
05:24I think as she grows and continues to learn, I think she'll be very independent.
05:30Amaya.
05:31Amaya loves her older sister, Araya.
05:34They play like all day together.
05:36I fall, you fall.
05:41Amaya's different than other kids.
05:43She's like unique.
05:44At first, we didn't know, you know, at the hospital,
05:48how to let Araya know that her sister didn't have legs.
05:51We didn't tell her.
05:52Her only question was, are they going to grow back?
05:54Like, no, that's not going to happen.
05:55Her legs aren't going to grow back.
05:56I'm definitely going to be protective of her when she's older
05:59and like when she actually gets into school.
06:02Araya is very protective of Amaya.
06:04She talks back to the people in public and I have to tell her, like,
06:07we don't, we can't do that, you know?
06:09Hi.
06:11Ready?
06:12We're going to see our friend, Samu, at the park.
06:15I love Sammy.
06:16Let's go.
06:20So usually when we go, we go to grocery stores, things like that.
06:26Kids, you know, they see Amaya and they kind of give a face.
06:30Like kids, oh, she doesn't have legs because they don't know,
06:33you know, like what to say.
06:35Most of the time when the parents see her, they just see her hair.
06:38They're like, oh, she has, you know, she has cute hair.
06:40But sometimes, you know, you can see their face go from a smile to like, wait, what?
06:46Yes.
06:46So.
06:47Like they see her face and they're like, they'll say it.
06:49They'll like comment, oh, she's so cute.
06:50And then you see their eyes go down and then they're like, oh, like,
06:54and then end of conversation.
06:56I started making TikToks and tried to spread awareness.
06:59This is Jaylen and my daughter Amaya was born without her legs.
07:02The response online has been more positive now.
07:07When we first started out, they say some crazy stuff.
07:11Some of them type out paragraphs this long to tell me how bad of parents we are because we kept
07:16her.
07:16I wanted to be a support to other women that may be pregnant with a child with a limb difference.
07:23I showcase her moving around and getting around and show them that she's not just stuck in one place.
07:29Good job.
07:32Hey, he's grown since I've seen him last.
07:35Wait, do Maya.
07:37You ready to play?
07:39Ready to play.
07:41If you have a child that's born different, don't let other people get to you.
07:46You know, a lot of people have had things to say about us and it's been difficult.
07:51A lot of people see her and think that she's not capable of doing anything
07:55just because she doesn't have legs.
07:57Hopefully once she gets older, she's able to spread awareness and let other people know that
08:02just because she has disabilities, she's still able to do things.
08:07Amaya is Amaya and she's going to do things on her time.
08:12I think Amaya couldn't have better parents for her condition.
08:15They've overcome milestones that I can't dream of.
08:18I'm sure it was hard to talk about it first to anybody and it's good to be able to be,
08:22you know, there for them.
08:24Yeah.
08:24When we can.
08:25Yeah.
08:26She's the reason I get up every morning and go to work.
08:29We've seen a lot of growth just in ourselves and with her and we're forever grateful for her.
08:34We could be sitting at home, you know, sad and crying about it because she is born different,
08:39but we wouldn't have her any other way.
08:44Right here is my airway.
08:48I have a jaw and my tongue blocks my airway from my mouth.
08:51So having a tray helps it support me breathing a lot more better.
08:55I need to take care of how I clean it.
08:57I usually clean it like once a week.
08:58Future college syndrome is a genetic condition that I was born with.
09:03It's a bone feature where I was born without no jaw, no ears.
09:08I had a hearing aid because I don't have ears, obviously.
09:11It's hard for me to chew and breathe on my own.
09:14There's certain things I can't do like swimming water or chew proper food.
09:19I have to take care of what I eat or else I will choke.
09:21What were your earliest memories of realizing you were different to other children?
09:27I would have to say first or second grade.
09:31I remember being looked at so many times.
09:34Like I would get scared at, laughed at, pointed at.
09:38I remember being around sevens.
09:40Kids would start picking on me.
09:41They would call me names like a frog or alien or all these hurtful names.
09:47I didn't want it on school because I was kind of like, I want to feel sad, you know?
09:53My parents told me we need to talk and they explained like,
09:56this is why people are doing this to you because you're born different.
10:00Perfect.
10:03Hey, babe.
10:04Yeah.
10:05Want some coffee?
10:06Yes, please.
10:07My dating life, I never dated anybody like an actual relationship.
10:13I remember being so, so scared.
10:17We met in August.
10:19Back in 2022?
10:212022, yeah.
10:22At first I was there in the care of dating because I never knew what to expect.
10:27I've never dated anybody with this condition,
10:29which made me more interested about what the condition is because I never knew what it was.
10:34But I wasn't nervous about it only because how you look doesn't really bother me at all.
10:40You know, I've always told you this.
10:42You never judge a book by its cover until you actually read the book.
10:49I love you.
10:50I love you too.
10:51The relationship that I have now, it makes me feel good.
10:55I don't feel like I have a condition.
10:56I don't feel like I'm any different.
10:58I don't feel any less of a human.
11:00I don't feel any, just, I just feel good around him.
11:02And I never met a thing like that, ever.
11:08You know, I'm our cameraman.
11:09I got to get her recording every time she's dancing because she's so good with it.
11:12You know what I'm saying?
11:13When did you first discover you had a talent for dancing?
11:20I was Ken and my dad, I noticed I was like moving my body around.
11:25He's like, yeah, what are you doing?
11:28I said, oh, I like the music, you know?
11:30My dad was smiling.
11:31Like, you know how to dance.
11:33So I'm like, okay.
11:35Dancing makes me feel stress relieved.
11:39It helps me get my mind off of things.
11:42Dancing is my way of letting things go and letting things out.
11:47And my sister, instead of, you know, screaming, punching walls.
11:51When I see Kayla dancing, how do I feel about that?
11:53I feel like she's living her best life.
11:59I started posting on TikTok on August of 2023.
12:03My boyfriend actually is the one that told me to like, post like,
12:07hey, you should show off your talent.
12:08Like, imagine how many people you would uplift with your condition or like,
12:13disability in general.
12:14And it's happened like, hmm, I don't know.
12:17Like, I was kind of scared because of the hate.
12:19There's a lot of hate comics in the world right now.
12:22Screw it.
12:24I'll kill it.
12:24Why not?
12:25I never thought my videos were going to be viral.
12:28It was unexpected.
12:29And it's just crazy.
12:30This dance that it was going viral for a while.
12:33So I did the dance.
12:34It went viral overnight.
12:36It hit 11.5 million views.
12:39But yeah.
12:40Over the night, everybody was commenting like, girl, you could dance.
12:44Like, I think there were more shots that people with condition like me
12:50can do something like that.
12:51And I saw all the nice comments.
12:53I saw all the negative comments.
12:55And I was like, okay.
12:56At first, negative comments got me really, really hard.
12:58I remember at first, you would be very emotional.
13:03And that's understandable.
13:05Who's not emotional?
13:06Everybody is.
13:06And she would ask me that, why are they talking to me like this?
13:09What filter is this?
13:12They're assuming that my disability or my face is a filter.
13:16Which I'm like, okay, you're trying to act slow or dumb.
13:19Or how do this happen to a person?
13:23And I'm like, dang.
13:26Some of y'all ain't smart.
13:28Or you're just trying to be funny.
13:29And it's not funny.
13:31It's stupid.
13:33The next one is a frog analogy.
13:36I'm like, okay, like, really?
13:39It's literally the same comments every single day.
13:42Or every time I post.
13:43So it's nothing that bothers me anymore, at least.
13:46I feel like they got too much time on their hand
13:48where they feel probably miserable themselves.
13:51They have nothing to get really hurt.
13:52And if they do, they need help.
13:54We kind of just kind of like...
13:56Strug it.
13:57Strug it.
13:58Look at it like, okay, you want to be negative?
14:00Okay.
14:00Is there anything better you can do with your life besides being negative?
14:05I sometimes look at it as a boost to like, okay, since you want to be that negative,
14:10I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing.
14:12You're boosting me as to be a better person.
14:13If you can make a negative to a positive, then what can break you?
14:17It's kind of like, hate me some more.
14:19You're making me happier than ever.
14:20Yeah, basically.
14:23Basically, yeah.
14:24People assume that he's with me for my money,
14:26or he's only with me because he deals bad for me.
14:30Not understanding that a lot of the times it's not about looks.
14:34When people say, oh, he's just doing it for the money, you don't know that.
14:38You don't.
14:39And it's not true.
14:40And it's not true.
14:41I make my money, she makes her money, we stick together.
14:45As long as you can be truthful and stick by my side and be yourself, that's all I need.
14:51I'm not with her because I feel safe with him.
14:55I feel safe.
14:55I feel myself.
14:57I don't have to pretend to be somebody that I'm not as well.
15:01Looking back, my confidence was a girl.
15:04Now it's more like, I would say like an eight.
15:07I'm not going to say 10 because I'm not going to say I'm perfect.
15:10I'm not.
15:11I'm a human being.
15:12I had emotions.
15:12I have feelings.
15:13I have bad days, which is normal.
15:14Everyone has bad days.
15:15I feel so bad with people not feeling confident about themselves.
15:20You know, people always say like, hey, you're confident.
15:22You're so confident.
15:24I wish I had that.
15:25I wish I had that.
15:26And I always tell them, you need to build it.
15:28What I hope when people learn from this story is never give up on yourself.
15:33Never give up on your passion, your dreams, your goals, your life goals.
15:37My wishes and my goals for the future are just keep going.
15:41Push hard.
15:42I will never stop doing what I love to do.
15:45And it's just me being me.
15:47Me being myself, surrounded by love, positivity.
15:50You can't change the past, but you can change the future.
15:54What's going to come after?
15:55What's going to come after you next?
15:56I have a message for the people that are trying to bring me down.
16:00Um, you can keep trying.
16:02I'm in my own place.
16:03I'm in my life doing what I gotta do.
16:06You're worried about what I do.
16:07You're worried about what I do?
16:09Keep watching me.
16:14When I was a kid, probably around five or six, my mom probably just let me try to hold a
16:22brush.
16:23I'm sure I tried with my hands and pretty quickly realized that my fingers aren't strong enough.
16:28So all I have is my feet.
16:30I also use my feet to open doors, reach a mug out of the cupboard, straighten my hair.
16:36Yeah, I mean anything that like is inconvenient to use my hands for.
16:42Boca milia is a birth defect that causes underdeveloped limbs at birth.
16:47It definitely like presents challenges.
16:50I have to adapt to the world and adapt to everything being made for people with hands.
16:57And that's definitely been a journey.
17:00Growing up, um, other kids obviously noticed that I look different.
17:06Sometimes, you know, I'd get the comments, the stares.
17:09There's definitely insecurity when, you know, like you notice people are staring at you.
17:17It's, it's constant.
17:19You know, sometimes a kid will be like,
17:21Ew, what's wrong with your arms?
17:24And it's like, I was born different.
17:27I was adopted.
17:28I had four and a half by my parents, who are American.
17:32My family helped me a lot growing up.
17:34I had help getting dressed until I learned how to do it myself.
17:38My sister helped me do my hair.
17:40Hey babe, how are ya?
17:45I still get help when I don't need it sometimes because it's easier
17:49to have somebody just come expedite.
17:52When and how did you meet Nathan?
17:54So we met at church.
17:56You know, I was there with my family.
17:58He was there with his.
17:59Before Nathan, I didn't really date a lot, but I felt like the guys,
18:05you know, maybe weren't interested and I felt pretty insecure.
18:09You know, will someone want to date someone like me?
18:11When I was dating Nathan, it was really different than any relationships I had ever had previously.
18:18He just genuinely respected me for who I was.
18:22Here we are 11 years later, married with a kid.
18:27Okay.
18:27I'm going to get started on the lunch sandwiches.
18:37When I found out I was expecting Matthew, it was scary.
18:43How am I going to do this without arms?
18:45I was scared to hold him.
18:47I, you know, had to figure out how to nurse him, change his diaper.
18:51But we figured it out.
18:53I kind of hugged him and lifted and that's still how I pick him up to this day.
19:00Hey guys, I want to share with you one of my favorite weekend lunch ideas that we make for family
19:08lunch.
19:08In 2021, Matthew, he saw the TikTok app and was like, we need to start doing TikToks.
19:16Putting myself out there was really scary.
19:19You know, are people going to judge me?
19:22Are people going to be mean?
19:23I do get weird comments and questions.
19:26Hundreds of comments like, you look like a dinosaur.
19:28I thought T-Rex's were extinct.
19:31I was like, okay, okay.
19:34So the first video I made that went viral was me wearing T-Rex fingers.
19:42People say what they want to say and it's up to you how you want to respond.
19:46You know what, I feel like a lot of people on TikTok say that I look like a T-Rex.
19:54And you know what I say?
19:59You know, it's a choice.
20:01You can be sad and poor me.
20:05And I, I have those moments.
20:07I'm human, but like I try to have like a positive, funny outlook.
20:15Hey, hi there.
20:17Oh, are you guys just eating?
20:19Yeah, come sit.
20:20Okay.
20:21Hi, hon.
20:22My mom has been hugely important in my life.
20:26She was my biggest advocate.
20:27Still is, if I need it.
20:29Hey, I brought, um, I brought those pictures we were talking about.
20:34Oh, you found the photos?
20:37This is the one they sent to us when we were planning to adopt you.
20:42It's in the orphanage.
20:43I ended up in an orphanage because my birth mother had me at the hospital and decided
20:48to leave without me.
20:49There's times I really struggled with.
20:52She just left me there and like, you know, kind of felt, felt sad about that.
20:57How could you just leave?
20:59We thought we would be a good family for her, but we were still really nervous.
21:05I knew that there would be challenges and there were some challenges.
21:09Between the ages of about seven and 14, while she was growing, um, her stubs would,
21:17the bone in her stub would grow and start to poke through her skin.
21:20So about twice a year she would have to have surgeries to file down the bones in her skin.
21:27Like these pictures of you after surgeries, how you were still smiling.
21:32It wasn't so often that, like, I became friends with the nurses.
21:37She was always such a good sport about it.
21:40She doesn't feel sorry for herself.
21:42Yeah.
21:42Look at that.
21:43Isn't she cute?
21:44Yeah.
21:45Did you know your mom was that cute?
21:47No.
21:48She's worked hard.
21:49She's just met many, many challenges.
21:52I just am so grateful that she's in my life.
21:57Awesome.
22:00Debra is amazing as a wife.
22:03She's inspiring.
22:05You know, as a mother, she's loving and caring and fun.
22:09You know, you can't judge a book by the cover, you know?
22:13When I look back and think how far I've come, I've adapted well to life.
22:18And I have this beautiful family and, you know, I'm happy.
22:24Like, what more can you ask for?
22:26I'm proud of myself for putting myself out there and being brave
22:30and kind of sharing my story.
22:33Growing up, there weren't people like me on TV.
22:39You know, we weren't out and about.
22:42And now we have a platform where we can be like, we're here.
22:46We're taking up space.
22:47Maybe one day a kid with a limb difference is going to be scrolling TikTok and be like,
22:53oh, she looks like me.
22:56My hair gets so frizzy.
22:59I can't stand it when it goes messy.
23:01That is a weak mind.
23:03Like, that's not my normal hair.
23:04I'm Ashley Carter and I have Tretacony syndrome.
23:09I feel without no ears, as you can see here.
23:12I've got both bone antiterranids on both sides.
23:15The surgeons literally put in a titanium screw and this is where it attaches here.
23:23Turn it on.
23:24And I can hear it's been very difficult because I just wanted to fit in with everyone else.
23:31But I always felt like left out.
23:34It all stemmed from school.
23:36I knew that I looked different to the other children in the school.
23:41Trying to mix in with other people, trying to mind getting gold, I had.
23:45You're an alien.
23:47You're agony.
23:48It was happening on a daily basis.
23:50I would sit and eat my lunch and I would get food tucked at me.
23:54They would punch me, kick me, they would pin me up against the wall.
23:57And I just said to my mum, I was like, I cannot do it anymore.
24:01I didn't want to go out because I was worried about what if this happens?
24:06What if that happens?
24:07I just wanted to be at home all the time.
24:09I lost my confidence, the lack of interest in things.
24:13I just wanted to be at home in my safe place.
24:17I will never ever forget the people that made my life out growing up.
24:25I started posting about a couple of years ago.
24:29And it's all about raising awareness about my condition.
24:33I'm going to be sharing some of my stories.
24:36Just because we're born different.
24:38We're still the same people as everyone else.
24:40It made me so much to know that I've got my support out there.
24:44Some of the lovely comments I've had and yours have been really lovely.
24:48And it's actually helped me count a lot.
24:50I have received negative comments online.
24:53Can people not comment or judge my videos by the way I look?
24:58It looks like you've been putting them in the oven.
25:00It looks like the sun has melted you.
25:02Seeing the comments, it got me down.
25:04I'm not going to say it hasn't.
25:06I think it moved to anyone.
25:08What I tend to do is I just delete the comments
25:10because I don't want my family or my friends to see it.
25:14This is Bradley here.
25:16Even with my normal tears, he still over-towers me.
25:20I think my brother needs to step more when I'm coming home.
25:24Quiet.
25:26Upset.
25:28Hello.
25:29How are you?
25:30Come on.
25:31All right?
25:31Yeah, I'm all right.
25:32Want some coffee?
25:34Go on.
25:35I'll do your show, guys.
25:36Bradley can be very protective when he realises that I've been picked up.
25:44Straighten your hair.
25:45It'll take about an hour.
25:46No, it does not.
25:48Get out of the shower.
25:49Straighten your hair.
25:49Don't talk stupid.
25:50Blow dry it, whatever you want to do.
25:52Brush it.
25:52Don't talk stupid.
25:54Why are you sat on the shoe?
25:55Because I wanted to, right?
25:57I did see, from an outside point of view, all the bullying.
26:00It angered me a lot.
26:01I just wanted to be there for Ash.
26:04But obviously, being five years younger, it's kind of hard.
26:07Just that felt like I looked so chubby.
26:12I just want people to be treated the way that they want to be treated.
26:16Yeah, literally.
26:19So when I go out, even if it's to the shops, even if it's to the pub, even when I'm
26:25in a car,
26:25I get the looks.
26:27I get the scares.
26:29And I sometimes do get the comments.
26:31And I just want people to understand that just because I look different,
26:36and I have a facial difference.
26:39I'm actually a genuine nice guy.
26:44Lovely to see you.
26:46Dad has been very supportive.
26:49When we found out that Ashley had Treacher-Collins Syndrome, we were shocked.
26:54But you were really, really cute.
27:01Not a lot of people knew about Treacher-Collins Syndrome because it's a syndrome that is just
27:09one in 10,000 people.
27:11So he was a bit of a guinea pig.
27:12Obviously, you were very young.
27:14So we had to turn the screw on this frame that was inside your jaw.
27:20And we had to do that every day.
27:22Due to having such a narrow airway, I couldn't breathe.
27:26I turned blue.
27:27And they gave you an external frame.
27:29So that brought your jaw forward by two centimeters.
27:34And then that opened your airway up.
27:38And then they could take your tracheostomy out.
27:45Which was deep breath time.
27:49You'd never breathed unaided, really.
27:52Never breathed on your own.
27:53You were breathing on your own.
27:55It was quite scary, actually.
27:57Because you had to have stents put in your eyes.
28:01Because you didn't have any tear ducts.
28:03Muscle stents.
28:04It's a little tube that you put into the eye to make a little channel.
28:09So that you can make a tear duct sleep.
28:13You could only lie on your back.
28:15Was that the most recent one?
28:17That was the most recent one.
28:18Yeah, I had to sleep like I was in a coffin.
28:21Like that.
28:21You were like that, yeah.
28:22Yeah, yeah.
28:23I was a female panel.
28:25And I had to sleep like that.
28:26We were about a week away from actually taking you to London for prosthetic ears.
28:33They can literally make ears.
28:35I have an idea for 20 years.
28:38They can have a chin implant if I wanted.
28:41But I'm not going on that.
28:42You said, if people can't accept me for what I am, and the way I look,
28:47then they're the ones with the problem.
28:50And that's the way it's been for practically the whole of your life.
28:55There were some really horrible operations that you had to go through.
29:01And we didn't know what was going to happen.
29:06With me being picked on growing up, I do wish I told my dad earlier.
29:11I wish I told my mum earlier.
29:12Because maybe things might have got sorted quickly.
29:17But Ashley kept a lot of it very quiet.
29:20He used to come home, go straight to your bedroom, thinking, oh, he's up there doing his homework.
29:25I was in that state of mind thinking, if I turn around, is it going to get worse?
29:29Like, is the bullying going to get worse for me?
29:31To know that he was hiding things like that from us.
29:35And all we wanted to do was to make it right.
29:40Throughout your life, you've been so brave.
29:45I'm very proud, very proud of him.
29:48He is just a good role model.
29:51And generally, people love him.
29:54I've had my good moments, but I've had my bad moments.
29:58We are here we are.
29:59We are living the life that we want.
30:01I think from now onwards, life is looking up.
30:07I actually had to teach myself how to do everything.
30:09Everyone in my life was born with hands.
30:12So I had to teach myself, like, how to get up, eat with silverware, or get dressed, and all that
30:19other stuff.
30:19My hair, like, brushing the back of it is hard to reach sometimes.
30:24I was born without hands and elbows.
30:27I was never diagnosed.
30:28I have never seen, like, an x-ray of my arms.
30:32But through the years of doing my own research, we've come to a close possibility that it could be some
30:38form of a malia disorder.
30:40I call them nubs.
30:41I've been calling them nubs since I was little.
30:43Or nubbies.
30:45My TikTok name is nubbies.
30:47Like, that's just what people know me as.
30:50Why was it important to you to be able to do things independently?
30:53Mainly because I don't really have, like, family in my life, like, or whatever, as I was, like, growing up.
30:59I was adopted when I was 11 years old.
31:02My adoptive mom, she would make sure I would learn how to do something, even if it was really irritating
31:08me.
31:09She'd be like, no, keep going.
31:10You have to do it until you get it.
31:11I really hated it.
31:13But, like, now I am, like, super grateful for it because I do everything, most everything, by myself.
31:19Obviously, like, I'm going to need help with some things, which I'm so grateful for my boyfriend for that.
31:25He has to help me with a lot of things, and sometimes I feel bad, but I still am pretty
31:29independent.
31:35And not a single shell.
31:38Usually I have Timmy helping me with this stuff, like, the messy stuff.
31:42I'm okay with having no arms, but, like, it's, like, kind of annoying sometimes.
31:47I think as being little, I was more chill with it.
31:50But then there was phases where I was like, man, I really hate, like, having no hands.
31:54This sucks.
31:55Dating was difficult in the past.
31:57Boys, they didn't want to be embarrassed.
31:59My first relationship, I didn't want to hold my hand.
32:02They said it, like, straight up to me, like, it's just weird.
32:05I don't know how I'm going to hold your hand.
32:07It would have been nice if we could have found another way.
32:09And then my second relationship cheated on me.
32:11My third wasn't there on an emotional level.
32:13I don't know if I'm doing this right.
32:15Should I flip it?
32:15What's up?
32:16You can flip it if you want.
32:18I just got fed up.
32:20And then I met Timmy.
32:23Oh, no.
32:24We met on Bumble.
32:27We chatted for a couple weeks.
32:30And Timmy asked me on a date.
32:32I was definitely nervous that, like, he was going to be questionable
32:36about how the relationship was going to go.
32:38Or just be nervous to be seen in public with me.
32:40I like to just go into things with an open mind.
32:42I'll try anything once.
32:44I'll just jump in and see how things work.
32:47And it's been working itself out.
32:48So it's been great.
32:50We've been living together for, like, a year.
32:52And I think this is, like, the first time I've ever actually, like, felt love from someone.
32:56I don't know.
32:56I think I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life.
32:58If it falls, then I lose.
33:00I mean, I don't know.
33:01We'll see how many we can do.
33:03Everyone was, like, talking about how cringey TikTok was.
33:05And the only reason I joined was to watch the cringe videos.
33:08And then I was like, well, I have this funny video of me putting my arm in a hot dog
33:13bun
33:13and putting ketchup on it.
33:14So let's post that real quick.
33:22I got, like, 300,000 likes within a couple days.
33:26So we just kept posting.
33:27And I did, like, a lot of videos of me kind of just making fun of, like, my disability,
33:31but kind of, like, a heartwarming way.
33:33But I'll also post things about awareness towards it.
33:36Like, I'll talk about discrimination and stuff on there.
33:38I get so many good compliments.
33:40Like, people are always complimenting my outfits.
33:42I do, like, a lot of little dancing videos.
33:44And people are always, like, hyped about my dancing.
33:47And then, obviously, those comments that are very, like, icky.
33:50Like, sometimes they'll ask me, like, how do you use the bathroom and wipe?
33:54And how do you take a shower?
33:55Like, I never have this in public ever.
33:58No one ever just comes to me and says, like, how do you wipe yourself?
34:01Nobody says that to my face.
34:02It's always behind the screen because people are like,
34:05oh, I can say whatever I want.
34:06They'll never find me.
34:07But you're just hurting my feelings and you're making me uncomfortable.
34:10Oh, green screen.
34:12That's a funny one.
34:13Sometimes people think I'm just AI'd or green screened.
34:15I mean, I guess AI could do it.
34:16But these aren't AI.
34:17These aren't.
34:18I'm very much born with no hands.
34:21Most of the time, people are really nice.
34:22Mostly positive.
34:24I've had people come to me and tell me, like,
34:25you've helped me, like, stay alive or other stuff like that.
34:29And it's super heartwarming.
34:30I'm just, like, I can't fathom that I, like, you know,
34:32did that much for someone.
34:35Hello.
34:36Hi, how are you?
34:38Good, how are you?
34:38Good.
34:39I'm good.
34:39It's good to see you.
34:40My little brother, Brody, we were adopted by the same parents.
34:44Brody, he has autism.
34:46And so there was kids that would push him into lockers.
34:48He had a stuttering issue.
34:50And, like, if I was with him in that school,
34:53I'd be there to help him.
34:55Well, growing up with Ren as kids, we fought a little bit.
34:59But she was that one person that was always there by my side.
35:02And we've been through everything together.
35:04But what about, like, me as having no hands?
35:07How was it watching me learn how to do things?
35:10I was actually, as a kid, I was always jealous.
35:13Because you always, like, good drawer.
35:16Like, through, like, painting, you're always better at drawing and painting.
35:20And you learn how to tie your shoes first.
35:22I was almost trying to learn things before you went.
35:30People in public, they tend to stare at me.
35:33Most of the time, they don't mean any harm.
35:36So, like, whatever, I don't say anything.
35:37Like, if I catch them staring, I just, like, look away.
35:40Usually when I got in public, I wear sleeves.
35:42Like, I cover up my arms or I wear a cardigan to cover up my arms.
35:46I, like, went out in public the other day without a cardigan for the first time in years.
35:52I was actually able to ignore people staring at me.
35:54Uh, so that was very nice.
35:56But I think it helped because I just got this tattoo.
35:59And I want to show it off.
36:00I wanted an arm band of all different hand emojis.
36:04So I could be, like, yeah, thumbs up.
36:06Or, yeah, no, thumbs down.
36:07Or, or the Italian one right there.
36:10Uh, yeah.
36:14Mianda, how are you?
36:16I remember, like, younger people would, would, would look, it would, like, stress you out.
36:21And you, and, and you just, you would almost feel like a person.
36:24But as the years have gone on, you've, like, not really cared so much as what people are thinking.
36:30You're like, this, this is me, this is, this is who I am.
36:33I mean, I have only known you a little over a year.
36:37Yeah.
36:37But I mean, I feel like you embody confidence.
36:42I don't know why anybody wouldn't want to just come over and start talking to you,
36:45because you're genuinely an interesting person.
36:48Oh, you're so sweet.
36:50Hey, it's been a while.
36:54I'm just a person.
36:55Like, I have hobbies.
36:57I can do everything like everyone else.
37:00Just because I'm disabled doesn't mean I'm from a different planet.
37:02I have, like, the same thoughts as everyone else.
37:04And I do the same things as everyone.
37:06And I also have probably the same goals as a lot of people.
37:09I would really like to be an actress.
37:11Like, I think that would be really cool.
37:17We'll see how it goes.
37:18I just kind of let life flow.
37:19I hope that people understand that people with disabilities are more capable than they expect.
37:25We find our ways.
37:26Like, eventually.
37:27It takes time, but we find our ways.
37:33We live here in Clarkland.
37:35As you can see around you with the mountains and everything, it's fantastic.
37:38It's a very nice town.
37:39It's quiet.
37:44What's up, everybody?
37:45Maybe don't groan.
37:47My name's Maddie, and I'm a member of the Canadian Paralympic Track and Field team.
37:51And I compete in the event of long jump.
37:54My name is Jordan, and I'm an athlete on the Irish Paralympic team that specializes in the sport of high
37:59jump.
38:00Back in 2019, we were both at the World Championships in Dubai.
38:05I was on Team Canada, obviously, and then Jordan was on Team Ireland.
38:09She pretty much slid into my games, if I'm being honest.
38:12The Paralympics actually reposted my post, and she followed me through that post, then sent me a message asking if
38:20I was going to be at the track.
38:22And she walked up to me in front of the entire Irish parenting team at the track, which took a
38:29lot of nerve.
38:30To tell you the truth, I went over to Dubai to win a medal, but came back with a girlfriend.
38:33So it was definitely something that wasn't expected.
38:36I think we have a really nice dynamic to have a partner who does exactly the same thing that you
38:43do.
38:43They understand the workload and commitment that's involved in going to these events.
38:47Becoming an Olympian or a Paralympian, it's a 24-7 thing.
38:51I'm going to hit the gym, push some weights.
38:55Here we go.
38:55Crush it.
38:56See you later.
38:57See you.
38:58Bye bye.
38:59Ah!
39:00Just a bow.
39:01Gotcha.
39:01Love you.
39:02Love you, bye.
39:03Enjoy.
39:07When I was three years old, I contracted meningocogal disease with septicemia and gangrene.
39:13It's also known as meningitis, and they had to amputate both of my legs to save my life.
39:19And I also had four of my fingers amputated on my left hand, and I went completely deaf in my
39:24left
39:25ear.
39:25I was still only given less than two percent chance of living because it's a very progressive disease.
39:31A lot of people that get it don't really make it past the 24-hour mark.
39:35It's pretty much a miracle that I'm here today.
39:39When I was growing up, my bones wouldn't recognize that they had nothing to grow into.
39:46I do remember getting fitted with my first pair of prosthetic legs.
39:50For me, it was a little bit scary at first because I had to learn how to do everything again.
39:57My very first pair of prosthetic legs, they were quite heavy and they were quite stiff.
40:03They were kind of hard to walk around, and I won't lie.
40:06Now the technology is amazing.
40:08I mean, my prosthetics are nice and light.
40:10They're comfortable.
40:11My ones that I use for training, then they're even lighter and they allow me to move freely.
40:19It was a bit difficult growing up when I was trying to get involved in sports because it was
40:24something that was foreign to them.
40:26They had never had an athlete before come to them that had a disability.
40:30There was multiple clubs that turned me away because they didn't want to have me there
40:35because, you know, maybe I was a liability to them.
40:38I wish people would sometimes see us first as people rather than people who have disabilities.
40:49I wish people would be able to get involved in sports.
40:50Hello.
40:50What is up?
40:52I have a coffee for you.
40:53You better have a coffee for me.
40:55That was a crack.
40:58From a very young age, I always knew death.
41:00I was different from everybody else.
41:02It was something that happened at birth.
41:04It's called amniotic band syndrome, where the umbilical cord wrapped around my elbow
41:09restricted the blood flow, which therefore resulted in the stoppage of growth.
41:12I happened to live in a relatively rough estate, you could say.
41:18There was difficulties and challenges getting involved in sporting settings,
41:22getting strange looks, people saying that you'll never be able to play basketball,
41:27or you'll never be able to do this, or that you look strange.
41:30They don't happen anymore, but they used to happen frequently.
41:33How was the gym?
41:35Good, yeah.
41:36It wasn't too bad.
41:37Feeling good, feeling strong.
41:38Looking forward to getting back now, hopefully, in competitions.
41:43In 2015, I became the first one handed basketball player to ever represent their country and nationally
41:48in the world.
41:49Obviously, it took a lot of hard work and dedication to achieve that goal.
41:54I was just so determined to be able to prove all the haters, I suppose, and doubters wrong,
42:00and the people that just didn't believe in me, because there was a lot of people that didn't believe in
42:04me at that point.
42:06People have asked us in the past, if we were to have kids in the future, if they would be
42:10missing their limbs,
42:11because we are both missing our limbs.
42:13You get, like, the holy people that, like, they're like, God bless you, like...
42:20God bless your spirit.
42:21Is your hand going to grow back?
42:23No, no, it's not going to grow back.
42:25It's a plant, man.
42:27They're like, oh, I'll pray for you.
42:28I'm like, I mean, thanks.
42:30You should pray for yourself, buddy.
42:32Oh, God.
42:34People just make assumptions that either myself or Maddie were good athletes simply just because of our
42:40disability in our category, but we're good athletes overall, full stop.
42:45Do you want to head away now?
42:46Yeah, let's go to the track, get warmed up.
42:48We train 12 times a week.
42:50It's our routine.
42:51We know what we have to do to try and be the best in the world.
42:57All right, guys, we get set up, and we will get to it.
43:00You guys start jogging around and start warming up.
43:02So these prosthetics are my running blades, and it kind of gives me what a real leg would feel like.
43:11My very first experience of helping out an athlete with a disability would have been Jordan.
43:16I had no background in coaching anybody that would have had to make adaptations or anything like that.
43:23Okay, skip.
43:24Get your toes up, toes up, toes up.
43:27Both of them would pride themselves as kind of representing para-sport on a level playing pitch with able-bodied.
43:34So it's quite inspiring to see they've all stopped having to do a double-take.
43:40They're all used to her being there now.
43:42And I think a lot of them are quite honored that they'll see somebody who doesn't see barriers.
43:52My tattoo says, never say can't, and it's above one of my scars that I had from surgery when I
43:57first got meningitis.
43:58Mine are the Olympic rings, as you can see here on my left bicep, and the Paralympic symbol on my
44:04left pec.
44:05Only 0.001% of the entire population of the world will get to become a Paralympian or Olympian.
44:11So I think it was only right to kind of acknowledge the achievement of getting there and by having it
44:17on my skin and with me for the rest of my life.
44:20With all the opportunities that this sport has given me, I wouldn't change it for the world.
44:25I mean, I got to meet Jordan because of this sport.
44:28Yeah, I wouldn't change it for the world.
44:29I absolutely love it.
44:47My name is Zizi Paul Soldat.
44:49I am 26 years old and I live in Butterfield Park.
44:52I was born with a congenital deformation called for camellia lower limbs,
44:56which is a condition that affects your muscular as well as your inside organs and your limbs.
45:02I am missing a left arm and my left leg is shorter than the right leg.
45:08Right now, I am putting on my makeup and fixing my hair, getting ready for a blind date.
45:15I would never know if my date would look past my disability today.
45:19However, I am positive about it.
45:23I mean, I'm so fabulous. I still look good.
45:25My confidence is that good right now. I have worked on it for years.
45:30I'm excited, very nervous.
45:32I think it's starting to be a reality that it's actually happening in a few minutes.
45:39My name is Machi. I'm from Kempton Park.
45:42I came here as a software developer engineer.
45:45I actually don't have a type.
45:47My type is really about the characteristics of a person rather than the physical looks.
45:52I'm definitely nervous. I know nothing about my date.
46:05I like facial hair in the man and I think that's fixed volume.
46:08You're going to come to me with a beard, a full and big beard.
46:12What's your name?
46:13Machi.
46:14What?
46:15Machi.
46:17What do you say that?
46:18Machi.
46:19M-A-C-H-I.
46:21Machi.
46:22Not likey.
46:23Yeah.
46:24And what's your name?
46:25Zizi Po.
46:44Zizi Po.
46:45A bit of science actually.
46:47Nice.
46:48Do you do anything other than that?
46:49I like chilli.
46:50Chilli what?
46:51Like chilli sauce.
46:53You like cooking I suppose?
46:55I do.
46:56I really do love cooking.
46:58So you're very in touch with your feminine side?
47:02Yes.
47:04I like alpha male.
47:05I like confident men.
47:07I like men that are very in touch with their masculine side.
47:13So what do you do?
47:14I have a nine to five of course.
47:15Yeah.
47:16But then I'm a model.
47:17I'm a freelance content creator as well as filmmaker.
47:21I've always wanted to be a model all my life.
47:24And then Instagram came.
47:26I was like let me actually take this chance.
47:29And I was actually spotted by an agency.
47:31And then that's where I started getting signed.
47:33Google me.
47:35Have you ever been with someone that has a disability?
47:39What do you think of people that look like me?
47:44Disability is disability.
47:46It doesn't actually take so much out of you.
47:52How long have you been single?
47:55I haven't been in a relationship.
47:58Do you think it's mostly based on your condition?
48:0280% of it I think it's caused by that.
48:05And the other 20% it's just me being a diva.
48:09I don't want to make someone feel like I'm holding them hostage by being with me.
48:14Being with me is supposed to make you feel so good.
48:16So if you are constantly worrying about what other people are going to say when you're with me,
48:20it's not going to make me feel happy.
48:22So what has been your biggest turn off when it comes to girls?
48:26Ladies who are more materialistic.
48:28We're talking to one right now.
48:30I have to turn off for you?
48:31Yeah?
48:32Do you want to do everything you see on the TV?
48:34I am TV.
48:35I am watching TV watching me.
48:38I want to turn off for you.
48:40Okay, okay.
48:43Do you mind if I just go to the bathroom?
48:46So far it's going great.
48:48I think he's very open-minded about my condition.
48:51It doesn't bother him.
48:53I think.
48:54I'm not too sure.
48:56But he shaded me.
48:57He said they're not like material girls.
48:59And I am very materialistic.
49:01Okay.
49:06So in your next relationship, what are you looking for though?
49:10You got questions too.
49:11He came prepared.
49:14What am I looking for?
49:15Yeah.
49:17I think we're all looking for something that we never had before.
49:21I want to be touched.
49:22You know soul touching?
49:23Yeah.
49:24I want to feel alive.
49:26I have control in my life.
49:28I don't owe anyone any explanation of anything.
49:31Already living with a disability.
49:33Yeah.
49:34So I don't want to live with limits.
49:37I don't like that.
49:39I really, really enjoyed actually.
49:42Meeching you.
49:43Let me help you out.
49:44You want to help me out?
49:45Okay.
49:48I think when I first saw her, of course,
49:51I did get a sense of more dominance.
49:54But I feel like at the same time, when it went on, of course,
49:58they came to a point where I was understanding her more.
50:02You want me to hold your hand?
50:03No.
50:04He was very down to earth.
50:06I did not want to overpower him.
50:08I had a lot of questions to ask him.
50:11And I didn't want that to come up as rude.
50:12So I really felt like, let me just turn it down and meet him at his level.
50:17Because he is very quiet and he's very sweet.
50:20Do you think you'll see each other again?
50:23We're definitely going to see each other again.
50:25I don't know about him, but we're definitely seeing each other again.
50:30Yeah, I'll see him again.
50:32That's what I think.
50:33Yeah.
50:34As a person who has never been on a date before or a blind date,
50:38I think I've learned a lot.
50:39It's been a really great experience.
50:41It's like, okay.
50:53I was born without arms and that condition can also just be known
50:57as bilateral aplasia of the upper limbs.
50:59I think it definitely made me have thicker skin.
51:02And it definitely made me have to learn how to troubleshoot things from a very early age.
51:07I was adopted from a Russian orphanage.
51:10I had therapy lessons and they would have me use my feet to play with things.
51:15Everybody is born with two hands and you learn how to adapt to your social surroundings.
51:21It's just, I just was born without them.
51:23For the most part now, I love the fact that I don't have arms.
51:25I mean, I wouldn't be on camera right now filming for this.
51:29Are there things I can't do?
51:31I mean, pushups would be difficult.
51:32Besides that, there are specific articles of clothing that are difficult for me to wear.
51:37I tend to wear clothing a lot more like this.
51:39That's just very easy, very close to my body because I use my legs for everything.
51:44I don't like having puffy sleeves or really loose pants.
51:48I kind of just like everything to be close to my body.
51:52If it's a coat and somebody else is around, like my boyfriend, I will just have him do it.
51:57Joe will help me if I need to have something buttoned.
52:00He'll even sometimes curl my hair for me, which is really sweet.
52:02Today is exciting.
52:03We are going to go shopping.
52:06My boyfriend and I are having a dinner date tonight, so we get to go find an outfit for that.
52:11I can do a lot of things by myself.
52:14I've learned how to adapt so well with feet.
52:17I need to put this down and then I'm pretty short, so slide that in.
52:24But basically, I just have one foot on the gas and then you have your brake and I'll just alternate.
52:29And then I just do this.
52:31And then for like the turn signal, I can just do that and still have my foot on this.
52:36I don't have any card options, if that makes any sense.
52:39So I can drive any car.
52:41I could not drive a manual though.
52:43I'm super looking forward to shopping.
52:46There are going to be days where I feel awkward or where I feel clumsy.
52:50I think the biggest frustration when I go out in public is just
52:54knowing that other people aren't used to me.
52:56And I'm sort of like an alien in their environment in a way.
53:00And so they'll stare or ask questions, which again is at least completely fine for me.
53:05For some people with disabilities, it's not.
53:07Joe is honestly one of the most supportive people that I know.
53:10It's never been an issue for him.
53:12I'm definitely hoping to find something that is very comfortable and easy to wear
53:17and something that will make me feel confident.
53:21This is cute because it's super flowy, so it'd be super easy for me to get on and off.
53:25It looks very comfortable and I can style it very easily.
53:29These are body suits and I would love to be able to wear body suits and stuff like that.
53:33The thing that I avoid wearing the most would probably be body suits
53:36because those are just a pain to get on and off.
53:38And if you need to use the restroom, it's just game over.
53:41So it's really difficult to get certain things
53:43because if they're too wide in the shoulder, then they'll just fall off.
53:59This top is definitely my favorite thing I've tried on.
54:02I think it's very comfortable.
54:06You like it?
54:07Actually, it really is super cute.
54:08Y'all have a good one.
54:10Thanks, James.
54:10Thank you, too.
54:11I just got done shopping.
54:12I had such a fun time and I'm so excited to wear my new clothing at dinner tonight.
54:24Stop.
54:25Oh, what the heck?
54:27All right, dinner's just about ready, so we are going to go get changed and be right back.
54:32Three, two, one, go.
54:37What do you think?
54:38Honestly, I think it's perfect.
54:39It looks super comfortable and I think you look gorgeous.
54:43I think it's really important for people with limb differences and just people in general with
54:48disabilities and differences of all kinds to be represented because I think we live,
54:52again, in an age that is very comfortable with the one-size-fits-all mentality.
54:57I think it is really important for media to showcase more diversity because,
55:03I mean, at the end of the day, that's what's real, right?
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