Born With a Rare Condition, a Brazilian Man Defies Expectations to Become a Global Inspirational Speaker
A man born with a deformity that caused his head to turn upside down has gone above and beyond to become an inspirational speaker, according to the Mirror.
Claudio Vieira de Oliveira, 37, was born with a deformity that caused his neck to bend upside down, his legs were deformed, and his arms and arms could barely function at all. At the time, doctors believed he had almost no chance of survival. However, this man from Monte Santo, Brazil overcame all extreme difficulties to graduate in accounting and become a speaker.
Claudio shared: “Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to keep myself busy. I didn’t want to be completely dependent on other people. I learned to turn on the TV, pick up the phone, turn on the radio, use the computer and the Internet. I do accounting and research and advise clients.”
Claudio typed on the keyboard with a pen in his mouth, used his phone and computer mouse with his lips, and even made a special pair of shoes to help him get around town. His determined independence helped him complete his studies with an accounting degree from Feira de Santana State University.
Claudio’s mother, Marie Jose, said: “People say he’s going to die because it’s hard to breathe with him. Some people even said, “Don’t feed him anymore, he’s going to die. But now it’s so happy, Claudio is like any other normal person, that’s how he was raised by us. We always encourage him to do the normal things that others do. So now he’s very confident. He’s not ashamed to go out anymore, he’s singing and dancing.”
At the age of 8, Claudio began to walk on his own after a long time being taken away by others. His parents repaired the floor so he could walk without injuring himself. The bed, electrical outlet, and lamp in Claudio’s room were also moved lower so that he could do everything himself without asking for help. Although she is unable to use a wheelchair due to her disability, Claudio still asks her mother to let her go to school with other children.
Doctors recently diagnosed Claudio with a rare condition called congenital stiff joints. His arm and leg muscles have many contractions that connect to each other so that they cannot be stretched properly.
Claudio said: “My body has adapted to the world around me. Now I don’t feel different from everyone else, I’m a normal person. I also don’t look at things upside down – this is one of the things I often say when I give speeches.”
“Now I find it easier to stand in front of a crowd. I am no longer afraid, and I confidently say that I am a professional speaker with a lot of invitations from all over the world.”.
