“On November 10th, 1990, which was a college football Saturday, my mother went into labor and delivery to have me. The doctor who was delivering me used forceps, which are tong-like tools used to deliver babies. They are honestly the worst thing to use. By using that tool, he broke my spine at the very top, which is c1-c2. I came out basically dead. Blue to the face, not crying, not moving, not doing ANYTHING. I had to be incubated and from that moment, I was paralyzed, all due to doctor who cared more about the Notre Dame college football game than delivering a baby.
Doctors and nurses would always say the worst, telling my parents I would be a vegetable. They said I wouldn’t be able to go to the bathroom myself, be able to move, be able to talk, be independent, be able to go to school — NOTHING. But my parents did the opposite and didn’t listen to them. In fact, they treated me just as a parent would with a ‘normal’ newborn and that’s how I am here today! I am proving all those doctors and nurses wrong, especially the doctor who delivered me.
I gained my first movement in my right-hand pinky finger and from there, more movement appeared. My right side of my body is stronger than my left side. I am able to breathe on my own but not for long. Every time I would go see a specialist, they would be in shock with how capable I am/was of certain things as a quadriplegic. I even went to a public school district, went to college, and did everything possible! I never live my life upset. Even when I was a baby, I was ALWAYS smiling and still am! I don’t let anything get to me unless something or someone truly bothers me.
Back in June 2013, I met my husband. When I first met him, he told me a few years before meeting me, he worked part-time as a personal care assistant. That made me so happy to hear, being disabled myself. It made me realize how big of a heart he had! He was and always is the one to put others first.
At first, he didn’t realize from my dating profile that I was disabled until we added each other on Facebook. He didn’t care! He still took me out on my first date, EVER! On my way to meet him, I told him I was nervous and he texted me back saying he could tell already he liked me! From that day on, he learned how to understand my disability and ‘taking care’ of me. He learned because that’s what love is about. Sometimes when I see people say things such as, ‘People who are disabled don’t deserve love,’ it is just mind-blowing to me. Just because YOU don’t have a heart means we don’t? Just because we’re ‘different,’ we don’t deserve the happiness just like you?
He moved in with my family and I four years into our relationship, helping us with whatever they needed, and he proposed to me! We then started planning a wedding and got married last June. Our anniversary is the same exact day we went on our first date. It was the best day of our lives. They say it goes by in a blink of an eye and let me just say, IT DOES! So for all of you getting married, try to remember as much as you can.
Our relationship is just like any other. We fight, we have arguments, we don’t like each other at times, we get on each other’s nerves, but we LOVE each other. We share our love story, difficulties, daily life, my disability, struggles, and so much more on our Instagram and grew 20,000 followers! That’s why my husband and I chose to do an episode on Born Different. EVERYONE deserves love! Don’t let anyone tell you differently!”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Alyssa from New York. You can follow their journey on Instagram. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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