Life is a BEAutiful Struggle with Genu Recurvatum
I am Bea Manlulo (@beamanlulo), 28 years old, a handicapped traveler from the Philippines. I was born with a case called Genu Recurvatum, a deformity in the knee joint, so that my knee bends backwards. In this deformity, excessive extension occurs in the tibiofemoral joint. Genu recurvatum is also called knee hyperextension and back knee. This deformity is more common in women and people with familial ligamentous laxity. I am in a wheelchair, it's not who I am, it's just how I get around.
celebrating my disability everyday
Many people think that living with a disability is one of the worst things in the world, and for some people with disabilities, this may be true, it can be really tough sometimes. I am one of the lucky ones who celebrates my disability everyday, as I love my life just how it is. I wouldn't change it even if medically I ever had the chance to. I am truly blessed for the experiences I've had - all of them! Without all of the downs, I would've never experienced all of the ups! Isn't life amazing how it always has to be in balance? We are all capable of amazing things in our lives, if you can see it, if you can believe it, you can achieve it!
BEAutifully different
I have to prove people wrong, to show them I could do things they didn't think I could do. I see each day as a chance to prove my worth by merely being myself, believing in myself, and being able to inspire as many people as I can. I always remind myself that it's okay not to be perfect and that I was created to be exactly who I am now - strong yet gentle, sensitive yet loving, stubborn yet forgiving, fearless yet God-fearing, disabled yet complete. That makes me BEAutifully different. I am God's creation, designed according to His plan for me. Life is a gift and I am blessed.
loving the feeling of possibility
I want to show the world that I do amazing things not because and in spite of my disability, but because I have the ability and willpower to actually do it. I never give up because I always find a reason to keep trying. Nothing beats the feeling when people know me or see me for my abilities. No disability or dictionary out there is capable of clearly defining who I am as a person. My ability is stronger than my disability. My disability has opened my eyes to see my true abilities. Disability means possibility. I feel as everything is possible - I definitely love the feeling of possibility!
Living to Inspire
God is my foundation and the ceiling of the unlimited hope I have. He created me, but also allowed me to have pain in life just like anyone else. He took my broken pieces and made it complete in the life of others. Once you choose hope, everything's possible. I don't live to impress, but I live to inspire. How others see me isn't important, it's how I see myself that means everything. Don't let the difficulties of life stop you, keep on walking speaking, moving or rolling your own way and show this world what you can do! I want to live not just survive because life is a BEAutiful struggle.
