Don’t let the wheelchair fool you; Dylan is an aspiring standup comic. Well, a sitdown comic actually. “Uncomfortable?” he asks with a grin. “Get used to it!” Inspiring discomfort with humor is Dylan’s forte, especially since 2004 when he was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)—the degenerative condition that has claimed much of his ambulatory … Read more
“You can ask me anything. If it helps out, I’m not embarrassed. I just want to help,” Ryan says from his family home in Crewe, England. “I’m shy,” he admits. “But I work on it.” Ryan received his diagnosis of DMD at age three. At the same time, his older brother, Ashley, was diagnosed. Ashley, … Read more
“Join Our Boys is to help us with our muscles,” explains four-year-old Isaac. “It’s a trust too,” pipes in his twin brother, George. “To help us with our muscles,” Isaac elaborates. “We already said that,” admonishes George and at that, the room goes silent. The boys stare at each other intensely—intimidating defeat. As the tension … Read more
On a wide residential street in Los Angeles, California, four-year-old Henry is standing ready at the front door, smiling coyly. Gregarious by nature, he immediately brings his new guests inside to his toy cars and a neon orange racetrack that spreads across the living room. It’s as if he’s seeing old friends he’s known forever, … Read more
“I started to write because of the discrimination I felt,” says Rafael, who goes by Rafa and speaks with a gentle timbre. “Even the people in my class would not approach me, maybe from fear or lack of knowledge.” Social isolation was the daily reality during Rafa’s first two years at the University of Seville … Read more
The two friends approach the Space Cinema Moderno side-by-side, feet and wheels navigating the thick cracks and broken sections of sidewalk around Piazza della Repubblica. A missing brick or sink in the road is enough to jolt Luca’s head painfully forward. Together they move with care, accepting the deterioration of Rome’s crowded urban centers as … Read more
Gio grips the sides of the wagon with delicate fingers. At one year old, he looks out with innocent eyes, absorbing the details of the world around him. Internally, an invisible challenge is developing beyond his control, and yet he sits supported both by the wagon carrying him and by the love of his family. … Read more
Sam rolls up to the playground and takes in the whole scene. Groups of kids are busy exploring the equipment like monkeys traversing a rainforest canopy. The midday blare of cicadas is interrupted only by the giddy screaming of his peers as they crawl, climb, and jump from an array of playground structures. Silas, his … Read more
Elijah awakes in his adjustable bed to the sounds of birds chirping as a steady stream of early-morning light shines through his window. With the push of a button on a remote controller, the bed lifts his legs high into the air. His power wheelchair sits against the side of the bed, lower than the … Read more
Stacy returns from the store with grocery bags hanging from both arms. She pushes the front door open and enters the house. It’s suspiciously quiet. She looks over and sees the TV on in the living room, but not one of her three children comes to greet her. She picks up the remaining bags and … Read more
There is a smooth stretch of concrete drive outside Luis’ house, but Armando never parks there. He leaves his white truck parked on the curb—a truck he could have only dreamed of owning in Mexico—and retrieves the mail from a rusty but dignified mailbox before rounding the side of the house to greet his son. … Read more
