If you ever have trouble getting out of bed because you don’t feel your body is perfect, let this guy bring you a different perspective.
According to Daily Mail, Claudio Viera de Oliveira was born with a severe deformity that gave him underdeveloped limbs and an upside-down head. And yet, at 40 years of age, this guy is defying all expectations.
Arthrogryposis is rare condition that fuses his joints together. When he was born, Claudio’s mother was advised by the doctors to allow him to die by starving him.
“People started to tell me that my baby was going to die because he could hardly breathe when he was born. Some told me not to feed him.”
Even though he lived, his head was left upside-down and facing the wrong way.
But if this isn’t an inspirational tale of overcoming odds, I don’t know what is.
Against all odds, Oliveira overcame his difficulties by learning to use a pen in his mouth to type words, his lips to use a mouse and even a phone.
“Since I was a child I’ve always liked to keep myself busy and work – I don’t like to depend totally on other people. I have learned to turn on the TV, pick up my cell phone, turn on the radio, use the internet, my computer – I do it all by myself.”
He went and became an accountant who does research and consulting for his clients and an inspirational speak at conventions and seminars.
He recently published his first book titled, ‘El Mundo Esta A Contramano’ which means ‘The World Is The Wrong Way Around’ in Portuguese.
He is a confident self-sufficient man that was raised by proud parents. “We never tried to fix him and always wanted him to do the normal things everyone else does,” his mother said. “That’s why he is so confident. He is not ashamed of walking around in the street – he sings and he dances.”
And herein lies the very essence of his book. Claudio remarked, “Throughout my life I was able to adapt my body to the world. Right now, I don’t see myself as being different. I am a normal person. I don’t see things upside-down.”
Truly having lived his own philosophies makes him an extraordinary inspirational speaker as well as a marvellous role model. You go, Claudio! You give us all #LifeGoals.
All images sourced from Daily Mail