Today we’d like to introduce you to Trisha Taylor.
Trisha, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Trisha and I am 33 years old. I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) which is a brittle bone disorder. I’ve used an electric wheelchair since I was 2.5 years old. I wore oxygen from a few months old to 16 years old full time. From the age of 16 to today, I only wear oxygen at night, if I am sick or fractured. My disability and living my life in a wheelchair have never stopped me. I have been driving a modified van since I was 17 years old.
I also moved out of my parent’s house at the age of 17. I attended college and graduated with my Master’s in Social Work. I got married in 2011 and divorced in 2022. In 2014, I quit birth control and we had two miscarriages. After the two miscarriages, we conceived our miracle son (Maven) who we had at 32 weeks and 5 days gestation. Maven was in the NICU for 21 days but now is a happy and healthy seven-year-old. I live in an apartment with my boyfriend, son, and 2 chihuahuas. I work as a case manager.
My daily struggles of living in a wheelchair, multiple fractures, bone pain, and normal life doesn’t stop me from living and completing my goals. I will never let my struggles overtake my life. My life will be what I want it to be even if I have to work harder than most to get there.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have had a lot of sicknesses, over 600 broken bones, constant bone pain, and not having the world accessible to me. I have not been able to obtain employment easily due to my being in a wheelchair and people discriminating by assuming I couldn’t do the job. It was also hard for me to find a romantic partner. A lot of guys didn’t want to be with me due to my wheelchair.
It took me until my thirties for men to entertain the idea of being with me. My boyfriend now loves his life with me. I’ve had to miss a lot of things such as school events, events with friends, and trips due to fracturing a bone and being bedridden. Being a mom with a disability I have adapted but the hardest part is when I become bedridden I rely heavily on my support system to help care for my son.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a blogger/social media influencer sharing my life with the world. My hope is to show the world that just because someone has a physical disability doesn’t mean they can’t achieve their goals. I am also a case manager and I get to help clients obtain the services they need.
I try to show people and their families that just because someone has a disability doesn’t mean they can’t achieve whatever they want out of life. I do this by telling them how I do things or the decisions I have made to achieve my goals.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
To stand up for myself and not stay quiet. As a child, I was very sweet and never said what I wanted or needed but in my mid-teen years, I got my voice I have upset a lot of people along the way but it has led me to where I am today.
Having a voice is important especially when you have a disability. I have also learned how to prove myself to people such as employers. I sometimes have to work harder than my coworkers so they can see that I am capable of doing the job.
Contact Info:
- Website: andshedid.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andshedid19/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andshedid19
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCleLOTtqhsEPoDOb27PUaZQ
