And You Think Your Problems Are Unbearable

A few days back, I chanced upon the Biography Channel’s The Woman With Half a Body. The special features Rosemarie Siggins, who was born with sacral agenesis. At the very young age of 2, her legs were amputated so she could have a better quality of life. Her story is very inspiring, as she remains positive despite unbelievable odds.

Because her legs were amputated, she had to learn to walk on her hands. She also learned how to use a skateboard, which I thought was cool. What’s cooler is she has a passion for  fast cars, and at the time of filming, she was beefing up a Mustang for the racetrack. She’s actually kind of a tomboy, but she found someone who is completely devoted to her and doesn’t really mind her not having legs. Watching her journey to finding the love of her life gives me hope. There is someone out there. You just have to find that person or be lucky enough to meet him in this lifetime. I think her husband is extraordinary. He definitely sees through her disability and sees the beauty within her. Now, they have a son, who was born normal.

The thing I admire about Rosemarie is that she is a rock. If you think her disability is a big enough problem, brace yourself for more: her mother died of cancer, her father has schizophrenia with an onset of Alzheimer’s and her 29-year-old brother has the mind of an 8-year-old. When her mother died, she had to move back to her parents’ house, along with her husband and son, to take care of her father and brother. Imagine that happening to you. It’s just baffling. Makes you wonder why such things happen to a nice person like Rosemarie.

But despite that, she is the glue that holds the whole family together. She stays positive and couldn’t care less for people who stare rudely at her or think she’s a freak. Despite all that, she still manages to run the household like any other mother out there. I was a little teary eyed, watching the program. It makes me grateful for what I have that I take for granted. I also made it a point that if ever I feel that I have the world on my shoulders, I will think of Rosemarie.