Note: Dedicated to the people listed below. (2018)

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"Freak", "insane",

"weird", "disgusting".

These are some of the words we hear,

and some are worse.

What did his parents do to him?

It's abuse, isn't it?

The parents should be punished.

She's doing it on purpose.

What an attention-seeker.

Question after question intended to hurt,

word after word intended to burn,

their judging eyes judge our loving parents,

blaming them for our conditions—

some which even doctors are baffled.

But we live on.

Maybe we don't look the same,

maybe we don't sound the same,

maybe we don't even have a "normal" life,

because we need to take so many medications,

or walk with crutches,

or maneuver a wheelchair,

or maybe we can't even move,

or barely speak,

or speak at all.

But we live on.

We want to tell people,

nothing will stop us.

We want them to know,

we are just like them.

The only difference is the outside.

See passed our physical deformities.

See passed the "abnormal".

We are like you.

Even if we can't smile on the outside,

we can smile on the inside,

just like you.

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I dedicate this chapter to all those who have inspired me.

I regret that I cannot include everyone on this list and that not everyone on this list is with us today anymore. Except for the last one, you can find everyone else on YouTube to learn more about their story.

In no particular order...

Hayley Okines

Shiloh Pepin

Sam Berns

Abby and Brittany

Megan Bomgaars

Lizzie Velasquez

Adalia Rose

Grace Key

Finley Smallwood

Asta Young

Lee Ridley

Hannah Kritzeck

Sparsh Shah

Bella (featured on Special Books by Special Kids)

Nick Smith

Daniel Pluzhnikov

and,

my second cousin Jill.