“‘We just don’t know what to do.’ They thought I’d never be able to walk, run, or have normal brain function. I HAD to believe in myself.”
‘You should put her up for adoption.’ They thought my ‘deformities’ would ‘severely handicap’ me.’: Woman born with amniotic band syndrome is ‘not limited in ANY way’
‘You’re just NOT trying hard enough.’ I KNEW I was different, but I tried to brush it off. Then something magical happened.’: Woman diagnosed with autism shares journey, ‘I will live a BEAUTIFUL life’
“‘You’re WAY too sensitive.’ They don’t know I am constantly aware of the clock ticking, people typing, colleagues moving, screens shining, lamp shining, them laughing, the radio playing. This world is so LOUD.”
‘I noticed a slender Black man standing on the corner. It was BEAUTIFUL. He said it was $15.’: Woman shares roadside encounter with kind stranger, ‘The world NEEDS art
“I had less than $5 on me. I told him I didn’t have any cash, but I was going to get some and come back. I’m sure people say it all the time when they ask the price and either can’t or don’t want to pay what he says. But I couldn’t—something inside me needed to and was telling me to go back.”
‘What’s wrong with her?’ I’d sit in the corner and draw for hours. I always knew something was different about me.’: Woman shares autism diagnosis journey, ‘Different is beautiful’
“People would say hello to me, and I’d ignore them. There’s a myth black girls don’t have autism, so they didn’t think to test me. I was called crazy, moody, shy, or a brat, but I was far from any of those things.”
Your Worth Is Not Determined By Your Appearance: A Guide To Self-Love During The Pandemic
“I’ve gained 30 pounds during quarantine. I can’t button my pants anymore. It’s hard to look in the mirror. And I’ve been stuck at my home with nothing but my thoughts and my new adult body.”
‘I gathered the courage to ask, ‘Would you let me paint your head?’ She’d hidden her baldness under a wig most of her life.’: Artist befriends woman with alopecia to show ‘baldness is beautiful’
“She decided to stop hiding and ‘come out.’ When I finished, Julia would not stop looking at her head in the mirror. ‘It’s like I am someone else, I feel like a star.’ Her beauty and energy are captivating.”
‘I asked my parents, ‘Why am I not like all the other kids?’ to which they replied, ‘That’s just how God made you.’: Young woman with Spinal Muscular Atrophy pursues career, ‘I found a way to make life happen!’
“I’d sit on the sidelines during PE while my peers played and had the time of their lives. I felt envy toward able-bodied children. I was that awkward girl in a wheelchair who didn’t know anybody. I didn’t fit in. One morning, I awoke to muscle loss in my hands. ‘But how will I create my art?!’ I had to find a way to make life happen.”
‘Caleigh complained of back pain. ‘Her spine is collapsing,’ the doctor said. My sweet daughter was curving.’: Mom to daughter with muscular dystropy says ‘not every bad situation has to have a bad ending’
“Out of the blue, her ‘best friend’ no longer wanted to be her best friend. Countless strangers walk up and ask why she is using a ‘grandma scooter’ to get around. Any time she falls, people stare or laugh instead of rush to assist her. Still, she does not believe in ‘I cannot.’ Through all the needle sticks and surgeries, she does her best to comfort ME.”
‘What will my child become?’ My differences were thought of as less ‘cool.’ I was the target of bullying, both verbal and physical.’: Man with cerebral palsy says ‘you are more than the struggles you face’
“Once I made my way to middle and high school, things became a struggle. A disability is a difficult diagnosis, yes, but it isn’t the be-all, end-all of your story.”
Teacher Creates Stunning Laundry Art During Quarantine: ‘I want to remind people to look for beauty and humor in everyday life.’
“There are so many people stuck at home right now. I wanted to give kids, teachers, and parents something to smile about.”
