"Alone we are rare, together we are strong" - Misha Dream Walker
Hi! My name is Misha, and I live in Lima, Peru. I was born with a rare condition called Arthrogryposis multiplex Congenita or AMC. The doctors said I would never walk or move a finger, but I walk, dance, swim, and live a happy independent life.
Spreading AMC Awareness
For the last few years I’ve been working as an inspirational speaker and blogger trying to inspire others with AMC and everyone, really. I think we can all use a little inspiration from time to time, and to raise awareness along the way. With that in mind, for the last few years I organized special AMC awareness campaigns for the month of June. It all started with posting inspirational photos- one a day (everyday) for the month of June to inspire children with AMC. Last year I posted videos of how I do things using my own life and experiences to inspire others to find their own way of doing things, and to raise awareness.
My AMC Campaign
As I said before, I have AMC.
Here are some things most people don't know:
1. How to spell Arthrogryposis, so I'll just call it AMC.
2. One in every 3000 people are born with AMC.
3. There are over 400 different types of AMC. Doctors don't even know that, and it affects all of us and our families in different ways.
Dreaming Big with AMC
How could I show all of that just from my own life experiences? The simple answer is that I couldn't! As I always say "DREAM BIG." This year I wanted to try something a "little bigger."
The national AMCSI (AMC Support Inc.) conference was in Las Vegas on the 28th of June 2017, and on my way to the conference I started #TheLongRoadToAMCAwareness campaign traveling from my country to the east coast in Washington D.C. I drove almost 6,000 miles through 22 states, and visited a family a day for the whole month of June. I met people with AMC, their families, and friends. They shared their stories, and discussed how AMC has affected their lives. I tried to ecourage them to chase their dreams while spreading awareness for AMC.
My Lifelong Mission to Spread AMC Awareness
This experience has made a huge impact on my life, and around the AMC community. I now want to participate in this campaign every year. This first trip was the perfect start, and will now be my lifelong mission as every mile traveled brings awareness and hope to someone that has been affected by this rare condition.
"Awareness is like the Sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed." – Thich Nhat Hnah -
