Category: Physical Disability
-
Having Friends With a Disability
“Friendship means seeing the person, not the struggle.” Friendship is one of the most powerful connections we experience in life. It’s built on trust, laughter, shared moments and showing up for one another. But when disability enters the picture, friendship can sometimes feel unfamiliar to people who haven’t experienced it before. The truth is, having…
-
Motivation vs Disability: It’s Not That Simple
Your worth is not measured by your productivity. Your strength is not defined by how hard you push through pain. Progress is personal and so is power. We often hear phrases like “If you really wanted it, you’d find a way” or “You just need to stay motivated.” These messages flood our social media feeds,…
-
Exploring Rett Syndrome
Her eyes have their own vocabulary. What a beautiful language to learn. Rett syndrome, Cerebroatrophic hyperammonemia, is a rare neurological disorder that primarily affects women, leading to severe cognitive and physical impairments. It is a genetic disorder that occurs due to a mutation in the MECP2 gene, which plays a key role in brain development…
-
Understanding Prader-Willi Syndrome
It’s very important to understand PWS because nobody, no one else understands. Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder that affects many aspects of a person’s life, including growth, metabolism, cognitive abilities and behavior. This complex syndrome is caused by the loss of function of specific genes on chromosome 15, which can result in…
-
Unfolding the Journey of Albinism
Albinism is a beautiful difference that deserves to be celebrated. – Edith Jibunoh Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetic condition that affects people of all ethnic backgrounds worldwide. It results in little or no production of melanin, the pigment responsible for colouring the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism also impacts vision, often causing lifelong visual…
-
A Journey Through Unique Conditions
You are not a burden; you have a burden that is too heavy to carry on your own. Rare diseases are health conditions that affect a small portion of the population, often with fewer than one in 2,000 individuals experiencing each disease. Despite their rarity, there are over 7,000 identified rare diseases and together, they…
-
Exploring Dyspraxia
If anyone ever puts you down for having dyslexia, don’t believe them. Being dyslexic can actually be a big advantage and it has certainly helped me. – Richard Branson Dyspraxia, or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a neurological condition that affects motor skill development and coordination. Unlike other conditions with visible markers, dyspraxia is often…
-
Hidden Challenges
The advice I’d give to somebody that’s silently struggling is, you don’t have to live that way. You don’t have to struggle in silence. You can be un-silent. — Demi Lovato Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic condition that causes a range of developmental issues, including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. It’s the most common…
-
Down Syndrome – Celebrating Abilities
I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. – Jimmy Dean Down Syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic condition that occurs when a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic factors in development and causes the characteristic…
-
Invisible Disabilities
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of overcoming of it. – Helen Keller Invisible disabilities, often overlooked or misunderstood, refer to conditions that aren’t immediately apparent to others but still significantly impact a person’s daily life. These can include chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, or sensory processing issues.…