Living with disability | PEOPLE

00:09:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dKqpqdZuCs

Summary

TLDRJeremiah discusses his experiences growing up with disabilities, highlighting the emotional challenges of feeling different and facing bullying. He reflects on how these experiences shaped his self-identity and relationships, especially regarding his fears of fatherhood. Over time, he has learned to accept himself and encourages others not to let their disabilities define them. Jeremiah is determined to inspire people to persist through their struggles and live independently, sharing a philosophy of perseverance and willingness to try despite limitations.

Takeaways

  • 🌟 Jeremiah shares his journey with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
  • 😔 He felt isolated and bullied as a child due to his disabilities.
  • 💪 Jeremiah now values independence and self-acceptance.
  • ❤️ He struggles with the idea of having children due to potential hereditary disabilities.
  • 🙌 He aims to inspire others to persevere and try new things.
  • 💔 Bullying left emotional scars, affecting his self-esteem.
  • 🛠️ Jeremiah advocates for finding adaptations to maintain independence.
  • 🌈 Acceptance is crucial for inspiring acceptance from others.
  • 🔄 He believes in trying despite the fear of failure.
  • 👀 Jeremiah wants to change perceptions of disability through his experiences.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:09:40

    Jeremiah, a 27-year-old from Leeds, shares his struggles growing up with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, often questioning why he is disabled while observing other children playing. He recounts feelings of isolation and bullying in school, which stemmed from a lack of understanding about disabilities. Jeremiah expresses anger and frustration over being bullied, feeling like a target, and recognizing the toll it took on his relationships, especially with his mother who supported him through numerous challenges. Despite experiencing physical limitations, he reflects on moments of being able to walk, only to be reminded of his condition when confronted with his reflection. He expresses fears about having children due to the risk of passing on disabilities, which complicates his desire for family. Over time, he learns to accept himself and recognizes that people stare because they are unaccustomed to seeing individuals with disabilities in public. His outlook shifts from self-doubt to acceptance, aiming to inspire others to confront their challenges and embrace independence, embracing the philosophy of 'watch me' as he strives to prove others wrong about his capabilities.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What disabilities does Jeremiah have?

    Jeremiah has spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

  • How did bullying affect Jeremiah?

    Bullying led to feelings of anger and isolation during his childhood.

  • What is Jeremiah's view on finding a relationship?

    He is hesitant about having children due to the fear of passing on disabilities.

  • What has Jeremiah learned about self-acceptance?

    He emphasizes the importance of accepting oneself to gain acceptance from others.

  • What is Jeremiah's philosophy about challenges?

    He believes in trying new things despite the fear of failure.

  • How does Jeremiah feel about his independence?

    He values his independence and works hard to manage daily tasks on his own.

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  • 00:00:00
    you
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    [Music]
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    [Music]
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    I always I'd be my head why me why me
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    there's millions of people in the world
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    and I ended up over disability my name's
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    Jeremiah some 27 from Leeds and I was
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    born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus
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    [Music]
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    growing up with a disability has his
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    fair share of difficult images
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    I mean when I when I when I was growing
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    up I um you know I always ask the
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    question of why me and I always fought
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    that I was the only disabled person in
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    the world when you see normal kids I
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    wouldn't play around playing with the
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    friends and you're sat there on the
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    sidelines because you can't do that that
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    that takes its toll
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    I wasn't satisfied in myself I'd blame
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    myself for not being able to do it I
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    always thought that Hannah looks easy
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    you know we've seen the normal kids do
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    it any other and you think that's easy
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    and then you try it with with with the
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    problems that you've got and it's very
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    difficult you you then get frustrated in
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    yourself because you can't do it as well
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    as they can and as a child you you
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    haven't got the the mental ability to
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    realize that what you have is is
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    somewhat different you think in your
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    mind that you're like everybody else but
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    you're not in school without segregated
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    you know I felt apart from everybody
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    else being a child with it with a
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    disability it makes you a target for the
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    normal people like bullies and stuff it
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    makes you a tag it because most of us
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    can't fight back most of us don't like
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    to fight back people think that they can
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    just take advantage and that's and
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    that's where it becomes a bit more of a
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    challenge and I was quiet quite an angry
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    child because of it you know the
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    name-calling calling me like crippled
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    and sparse and all that stuff you know
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    people who grew up on the back of
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    wheelchair and they pushed me to push me
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    down the halls as fast as they could you
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    know try to take me out of it oh the
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    lock had a so that I couldn't get to
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    lesson
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    oh the thruster for me
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    in lesson but for me I thought that was
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    doing it because of because of my
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    disability and I didn't know why
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    I think because they didn't know and
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    they didn't understand the problems that
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    people with disabilities had I believe
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    that they that there was just acting out
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    because they didn't know but I believe
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    that if they did know there wouldn't be
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    as many boys you know I don't think
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    there was a much awareness then as there
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    is that bullying affected me quite badly
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    obviously a bully is quite a tough
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    person so for me I didn't I didn't stand
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    up to a bully I just bought it and not
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    hide it and then I'd go home having the
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    worst day ever and then I would take it
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    out on family members
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    I made my mum quite honest with how bad
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    my behavior was she spent the last
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    sixteen years waiting on me hand and
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    foot and then I take her out on her she
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    would take me to hospital appointments
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    you know she would change my dressing
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    she would order my medical supplies she
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    would cook Maite she would do everything
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    and for me to sit and say that I made my
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    mother nervous even as an adult it just
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    saddens me when I wasn't when I can walk
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    I feel great until a scene of reflection
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    because to me in my mind when I'm
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    walking I'm walking like a normal human
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    you know I'm walking like a normal
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    person and then I'll catch my reflection
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    in the mirror and I'll see you know my
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    hips moving and he's going inwards and
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    wobble and it's hard to believe that
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    that is actually me because I don't I
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    don't see that I don't think it's ever
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    gonna change I don't think my ability is
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    ever gonna get better I think the only
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    the only thing that will get better is
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    my ability to understand it
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    I think the biggest issue that I have as
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    well is not being able to find the thing
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    that everybody wants which is a
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    relationship and and children I've got
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    to go children which I love very much I
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    see them as much as I can they're very
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    very important to me I'm against having
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    children of my own there's times where I
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    thought I've wanted one but then I don't
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    because I'm scared because if I do have
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    a child there's a 50% chance that that
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    child will be disabled like myself and I
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    know it sounds selfish of me you know
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    not wanting to we have a child because
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    of a disability but I don't want that
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    child haven't go through the same I am
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    [Music]
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    and I didn't not even want to accept
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    that I was disabled I didn't want to
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    accept that I couldn't do this when
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    people stare the DA asked they just
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    stare and then throw your monkey look
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    and walk and keep walking that's the
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    judgment side the father of even asked
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    me my mate said to me the the reason
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    that people stare was that I'm an
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    exception to the rule because they've
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    never seen that because most disabled
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    people don't get out and that's what
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    changed my mind to appreciation now my
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    mind says I am away I'm innocent I am
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    Who I am
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    because it how can you I as a person
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    want anybody else to accent me when I
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    can't even accent me
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    [Music]
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    my biggest goal is to just inspire
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    people just just want to keep going and
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    to to never live in fear of your own
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    emotion or your own mind I'm so
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    independent in myself even doing my
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    washing and do my almost you know I
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    can't walk into it back in so for random
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    and woman doing so I'm finding ways that
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    suit me to be able to do things
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    people say oh you can't do this can't do
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    this or you can't do that but my
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    philosophy now is watch me because now
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    I'm not afraid to try I'm not afraid to
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    try something new I'm not afraid to at
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    least give it somewhat of a girl because
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    then at least I can say that I have
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    tried it and you know I might fail but
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    that failure is worth some people say
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    you'll never be out the wheelchair and
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    that may be the case but as long as
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    there's something to lean onto I can
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    walk
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    [Music]
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    [Music]
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    [Music]
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    you
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    [Music]
Tags
  • Disability
  • Bullying
  • Self-Acceptance
  • Independence
  • Inspiration
  • Parenting
  • Resilience
  • Mental Health
  • Life Challenges
  • Perseverance