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Editorial

Women born without limbs become best friends

  • PublishedNovember 13, 2019

Two women, who were born without limbs have become the best of friends through their comparable hardship.

Jlissa Austin and Chassidy Young who were born without limbs and have since become best friends.Photo:Barcoft media.

This is all thanks to US’s Barcroft TV, which highlighted their stories separately in a documentary.

Jlissa Austin, 31, who was born without arms, knees and seven toes while Chassidy Young, 32, lives with Tetra Amelia syndrome.Tetra Amelia syndrome is  rare congenital disorder that left Chassidy without hands and very short legs.

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Both women filmed documentaries for Barcroft TV’s ‘Born Different’ series earlier this year, and after watching each other’s life story, they have become best friends through their very rare similarities.

They recently met for the very first time and their friendship has since blossomed. Chassidy travelled across Texas from her home, Dallas, to Houston where Jlissa lives. Neither of them had ever met someone like them before thus the moment was priceless.

Chassidy Young [left ] with her sister Ashley and Jlissa [right] with her fiance Jonathan. Photo;Barcoft media.

Chassidy said: “I saw Jlissa’s story and I got so emotional. I was like, I can’t be the only person on this whole earth missing arms. Where they at? [sic] and then Jlissa confirmed there’s actually somebody out there who shares the same experience as me.”

“I was just like, I have to find her. And then Jlissa confirmed there’s actually somebody out there who shares the same experience as me. I’m so happy to have met Jlissa because I now have somebody to identify with.”

“You know, we have our family and we have our friends. But it’s those moments where you need somebody like you, because we have our own struggles that they could never relate to,” she added.

Some 30 years ago, doctors identified that Jlissa would never be able to lead a normal life again and to this date, she is still unsure of what caused her abnormalities. But she has proved naysayers wrong as she is able to perform tasks such as brushing her teeth and texting on her phone.

People ask her many questions like, how do you eat? Who takes you to the restroom? How do you write? But for Jlissa, her condition has not affected anything in her life.

                                                 Cassidy and Jlissa.Photo:Barcoft media

“There are so many people that aren’t able to be themselves because they are scared of the world. You need to be yourself and be thankful. That’s what me and Chassidy are doing now,” she said.

Chassidy said: “I prefer it for kids to come up and say to me, ‘Hey lady, what’s up, where your hands at, why are you so little is like me?’ And then we can have a conversation. I always try not to be offended.

“I don’t call it disability, because that makes it sound like something is restricting you from doing something else. It restricts you from getting from A to B.”

Jlissa and Cassidy have racked down thousands of followers on their social profiles and remain thankful to Barcroft TV for their ”Born Different” series which brought them together.

Jlissa is currently planning for a wedding with her fiancee of 14 years, Jonathan, with a date set for next year.

In case you missed it; MUGAMBI PAUL Transcending the disability barrier

 

 

 

 

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