yoocan - Stephanie Thomas - NBA DANCER & CONGENITAL AMPUTEE
FASHION

NBA DANCER & CONGENITAL AMPUTEE

Amputee

Stephanie Thomas

DOCTORS SAID I WOULDN'T WALK, SO I DANCE!

I'm not a congenital amputee missing limbs, I am a congenital amputee born without a right thumb and toes on both feet that provide balance. Honestly growing up and as a young adult I felt shame and guilt for this fact. I wanted to be accepted by "them", you know the infamous "they"...what would "they" think, the fictitous people that I don't personally know and who don't have an impact on my life one way or another.  That's foolishness.

Today I am grateful, super grateful for my feet being exactly the way they are. Because my missing digits are not immediately noticeable I live in two worlds. In one world I'm treated "normal" in the other world I'm wierd a freak and have been told, "you're pretty, but your feet are f$%^ up". Really, Really (insert annoyed emoji of your choice). In the world of disabilitty, I'm often not "disabled enough".  I always know when someone's thinking this because they'll say, "Oh, what is your disability" My instincts make me want to say, "Why, why do you wanna ask?" But, I smile, and tell them my story, and then I get "the nod", the nod of approval that says, "you're ok, you're one of us". Well I'd like to say thank you for that, but I don't your approval either. I am intrinsictly approved because I exist, just like everyone else.

Many years ago I was a professional cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls during the early Jordan era. I started cheering the same season Scotty Pipen, and Horace Grant came aboard. I was cheering when Phil Jackson was still a part of the coaching bench for the Bulls. Oh, fun fact, during my audition I was number #23 out of hundreds of women, unfortunately I had no idea who Michael Jordan  was or that I should know the significance of that number. Ok, back to my story. Being a Luvabull and in my second year one of four captains of the team gave me a chance to do something I really love, dance. I love God's sense of humor, blessings me to be born without all of my toes, while at the same time giving me a natural abilty to move and express myself through dance. I'm also grateful that being born a congenital amputee gives me perspective in my work as a Disability Fashion Stylist. My personal story informs my work, I say my work, but it is really my life's work. I've attached the You Tube video of my work, but I'd like to leave you with this:

Define Yourself! If you don't define yourself someone else will. I am not an overcomer, I am not inspirational because I walk, my value is not attached to what I do, I am valuable because of who I am. If you love to "dance", don't let any diagnosis, or perception of others stop you from doing anything you love to do.

Tags:

EMPOWER OTHERS!

Share this story to help change someone's life

WELCOME TO YOOCAN

THE GLOBAL COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY FOR SHARING EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE BY AND FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SO NO ONE FEELS ALONE.

BY CREATING AN ACCOUNT YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF SERVICE ANDPRIVACY POLICY.