Dedication: To mom, you rock, you are the most chingona en la vida. To dad, my siblings, and all those amazing people that have seen my potential. To everyone that once overcome an obstacle, you will always will.
Funny story of mine, because the most characteristic thing that makes me who I am now is one that I can barely remember.
My born was, in the words of my parents: ‘a miracle’, from the fact that my mom achieved to get pregnant again, and to that I almost didn’t make it… Mom faced difficulties, and at the end we made it, when I was born everything was fine, or at least the doctors say so.
After few months, when it was time to stimulate my first steps, the unexpacted shows up. I used to make some weird moves with my legs and be in constant ‘splits’ instead of kind of keep me standing. My parents get surprised and with the confussion the visits to one doctor, and other, and other more begun; no one knew what exactly happened to me, until they find out: Bilateral congenital dysplasia of hips, this condition could be discover at my born, it did not; this condition is in few words: To do not have the bones (acetabulums) that connect femurs with hips.
First evaluation: ‘Your child would never walk’, of course the heart and world of my parents get broken but, after many evaluations a little hope arrived, a innovated treatment, of course my parents were so desesperated that they were willing to try wathever; they swear that even though I didn’t have an usual developmeent I never gave up, I tried to stand, to walk, to croll even when my body could not made it, with a lot of time, patience, spport, and against all dianoses, little bones get appeared, so the hope started to increse. Maybe I would be able to walk and I finally did when I was two year old.
Me walking changes my family life and of course it define mine, I’m sadly sure that life would not be the same to me, and I can say ‘sadly’ because being desable should not be an obstacle to growth and achieve a good life, but discrimination exists, lack of inclusion is a fact, and the whole structural mistakes that dismiss the potential on our disable community has not vanished. Now, I have embraced my past to strengh my goals for the future, to sensibilize my vision for the future and my treat to others, because now I can, yes with some aftermaths, but what do they matter, my family and I didn’t give up then, what would I give up upon anthing else now?, my courage, my faith, my emphaty to others came from this.
And that is not it.
I am a neurodivergent community member, and what once make me feel ashame now makes me powerfull, free, brilliant, proud, different and happy. When I was 3 year old I was diagnosed with ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or what is call Attention Deficit Disorder, and certainly is not easy thing, my learning was not the usual, my challenges were different and not for all schoolar systems, teachers get upset and mad with me the whole time, my parents spend a lot of time in meetings, with doctors, following my treatment, and even though at the beggining I didn’t recognize my differences with other kids, later I get bullied, stressed an so confused by the misstreat or excess of attention of others.
The world make me feel different and that could be a a bad or an amazing thing. It was and still is faboulous, now I’m not taking any pills, even thoug at my 16-17 years old it lead to anxiety, now I work my ADHD on my favor: Multitasking is my cardio, easy distraction my bend.
People used to tell me how I should deal with my “problem”, I decided how to work with my superpower.
I will always be greatful with therapy, that when I was younger was very very stigmitized, but if I pronounce well, and I was able to contest on declamation, and now I’m part of an online tv program, and beggining a podcast; if I enjoy reading and get thing fast, and now write for Girls Globe and Es De Polítlogos; if I have surpassed myself is thanks to it, to the inconditional support of my love ones and because I decided to get to know me, to work on me, to support others as once someone support me.
The woman that I am now get constructed and deconstructed constantly, all my weakness have turned in my strengh. If this woman that I am could help other women, I will, I’ve been surrounded by amazing female role models as my mom, my sister, my friends, my teachers in each stage of my life I found myself supported or/and supporting another female, my obvius path was on feminism, and until now I’m sure that being feminist saved me, and being feminist will help me to save others as well.
Everything that by birth I was not meant to be, now I am, because life give the opportunity and I took the chance and shaped my fate.
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This storyteller shared her story in Spanish and in English. Here is the link to the Spanish version of this story… https://sayitforward.org/dedeshuesada-a-empoderada/
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Photo credit: Images courtesy of storyteller.
