Sarah is my sister. (Yes I am the one she mentions in her talk.) I am very glad TedxYouth Dayton gave her this opportunity to speak. As she mentioned in her talk, recognizing invisible disabilities is just as important as recognizing "obvious" or visible disabilities.
I agreed with Sarah but she spoke about disability negatively which confused me after having watched another video that stated we shouldn't perceive them as bad
The word is disability, it literally means the loss of ability. It is negative, let's be realistic. But there are negatives in everyone's lives, it's not something we should hide from or pretend isn't there. Everyone just has to deal with it the best they can, regardless of how much it impedes their daily life
So many people are being criticized for not "looking" disabled. It warms my heart to see such a powerful young woman taking the reins to spread awareness. Good for you! 💛
Feeling down about my chronic illness and watching videos, it made me perk up when she mentioned Cincinnati children's because that's my hospital! I'm glad i was able to find another teen I could relate my illness too
It has been my personal experience too that invisible handicaps are more difficult to live with.Others don't believe you when you tell them that you have a disability.But these videos also teach that we should strive to be overcomers.
i have a invisible disability i have depression and bad thoughts and anxiety and my grandad never believed me i was disabled and my grandad had learning diffucuties
She made very good points about invisible illnesses. I suffer from chronic pain myself, several bulging discs and degenerative disc disorder in my neck along with narrowing and flattening of my spinal cord. I also severe TMJ (jaw pain and very limited opening). I also have pretty severe depression and anxiety, some of which stems directly from living with chronic pain, and I also have high blood pressure. I'm 32, so none of this is fun and it's definitely frustrating sometimes that people can't see my issues. However, I so have to strongly disagree with her statement that "all disabilities are the same and one is not worse than another. They are all equally as bad." I think she was going for a specific point here, but that statement is really misinformed. Yes, all disabilities deserve acknowledgement, respect, accommodations, etc, but there are some higher functioning than others. Some that require countless hours and me dollars to maintain. Some that limit a person's ability to work or to have a family, etc. I'm thankful every day that I have the mobility I have. Yes I'm limited in my daily activities, but I can walk and play with my kids. I would never say my issues are just as bad as someone with a life threatening or otherwise severe disability or illness.
Thank you for sharing this story - everything said about chronic health conditions and invisible disabilities is something that more people should speak out about. The challenges of having a chronic disability is difficult - add to it being an invisible disability and being young becomes a challenge in and of itself. People say "you're too young to have so many medical problems" and they say it in a way that is like - they'll believe it when they see it. So many chronic health conditions & diseases that are invisible disabilities are extremely challenging and they affect the quality of life for so many people. There is much to be said on this topic and I think this young lady is a pioneer for spreading awareness of this issue.
Sarah is someone that’s been there for me for so much and she is such an understanding and compassionate person. I’m so proud to see her up on a stage speaker her mind
I liked your talk. So honest and authentic- I also have a invisable disability and you spoke well! Best to you- keep on telling your and your bros story!
once she said she was diagnosed with Long QT syndrome I was so damn excited. I have the same issue and I too take a beta blocker. Even better yet, I was in band throughout highschool, colorguard specifically. Everything she described is accurate and I can feel her pain once she discussed the struggles she has to face that others take for granted. She did an amazing job 💕
I have an invisible disability that I was diagnosed with when I was six months old, and when we go on holiday we sometimes get stopped, because I’m not in a wheelchair anymore even though I still get the side effects of my surgery, and people think I’m just wearing a lanyard but not disabled. One time they got my dad to drink half of the medicine I needed before letting us through. I don’t know what they thought it was but they actually said I looked fine. I loved this talk and it just reminded me of that. Half of my meds. Gone. For a two week holiday
Very brave young lady. Your family must be very proud. I liver with an "invisible disability" and you are so right about people not being able to quite grasp 100% some things when they can't see them.
What a inspirational young lady ,and her brother also x we complain about silly things all the time ,instead we should be blessed to be healthy x my daughter had a brain tumour removed when she was 3 years she is 34 now x she has 3 chronic conditions. She is always in and out of hospital x But in all these years I have never heard her complain about anything to do with her health x she is my absolute hero x I tend to find children and young adults that have chronic illness never do complain they have this special power with in them selfs to get on with life and cope x Beautiful young girl x x 🥰
I got three invisible disabilities. I am afraid to tell people who I don’t know. A lot of times, I feel like exploding. I have chronic insomnia. I am not sure why. I have some kind of lung condition. I grew up healthy. Maybe I was healthier than most kids and young people. Now, I am frustrated with my bronchioctisis. It ruined my pride. My pulmonary doctor retired. He understands what it’s like to have this better than everyone else. Now he retired. I hope that you will live a long life. I am sorry for your suffering. I hope that you feel better.
I am 31 with TOF/APV which is a complex congenital heart defects. I have had two open heart surgeries. Thanks to my congenital heart team at Hopkins I am stable and doing much better today.
I started a beta blocker and an ACE inhibitor at the age of 24. Should have been much earlier, but it took a long time to figure out what was wrong with me as my EKGs are normal...had to have an echocardiogram! Fortunately these drugs are usually well tolerated and have made a huge difference for me. But yes, there’s no such thing as “too young to be sick” and there’s no such thing as “looking disabled.” Anyone could have a disability - if they’ve adapted well and are ‘abled-passing’ you might even know them pretty well and have no idea.
This talk truly resonates with me! I agree individuals with invisible disabilities shouldn't be treated differently than others with visible disabilities.
Because of my own invisible disability, I had to listen to your video at 0.7 speed, in order to be able to cope with the large amount of information being presented. Otherwise I found your talk to be an excellent one. I also like your use of humour to lighten up what is after all a serious subject. I can easily identify with everything you have said about the way in which doctors and the general public view invisible chronic illnesses very differently from visible acute, short term conditions. Wondering how both of you are going, with this having been posted in December 2015. And while the end of this pandemic, is not easy to predict.
I have some personal invisible disabilities such as a little auti sm, central auditory disorder, panic disorder and complex partial epilepsy but I am a girl college student and my mom I always looked up too even my three dogs and a rabbit. I just wish that other people realize how important it is to learn about invisible disabilities in a respectful manner and be an organization that respects those with these problems.
Sad to know. Now a days humans are all born with or without seeing disability. Why are these mysterious mysteries occur. Hopefully many of us grow n learn to become loving kind n serving humanity. Great talk. Thank you, bless you. All your dreams come true.
I have Nail Patella Syndrome which can be seen and noticed by those who know or doctors, but mostly people don't realise that I have a disability. At 17 I have to walk with walking aids and sit down. I used to love playing netball and walking but now I'm not aloud to do anything that is high impact. Everyday I commute to my college on a train and bus, I can't stand up on either, despite having a obvious walking aid people do not give me a seat, even if they are in the disabled seating, I have anxiety and don't like to ask people to move. Even sitting down for a long period of time can really hurt. Later this year I am going to Harry Potter world, I am worried that I won't be able to walk around it and disappoint myself...a hardcore Potterhead and my sister who also love HP. I can not be cured, surgery is possible but there is a chance it could get worse. In the UK there are only a few doctors that specialises in NPS, I am going to see one in a few days.
IT IS SO TRUE! I have an invisible physical disability. I have CRPS and I can't lift more than 2 pounds and struggle with chronic pain as well as limited range of motion in my right arm. Most of the time I don't wear a wrist support or compression gloves, so if you were to look at me you wouldn't really notice a physical disability- unless you look close at the swelling and color change in my right hand and arm. I worry about traveling and think how am i going to be able to put my carry on in the overhead and what if a flight attendant doesnt want to help because they think im totally capable of doing it myself. I get anxious about traveling but i want to so bad. it is sad that i cant even lift my carry on bag. she is right when she says you have to start thinking about things that no one really pays attention to
This girl is legit! Her message is real. I have hydrocephalus + a device in my brain. On the outside I look fine but the when/if the device fails (without warning) I have to get emergency brain surgery (and/or risk coma, death, brain + eye + ear damage). The condition affects 1 in 750 babies but is severely underfunded because the affected largely seem normal. (Unless they have brain damage.)
Sarah made good points about her congenital heart defect disease. Sarah has a pretty name. Sarah is so smart and friendly. It sucks Sarah can't do sports and drink caffeine. I wonder if Sarah can still drink soda, do PE, run in PE, and play jump rope. I'm wondering if Sarah Skinner goes by any nicknames and when is her birthday. What's Sarah Skinner's favorite color, flower, sport, and middle name? Who's Sarah Skinner's favorite Disney princess? I'm guessing Sarah's favorite color is green or blue. I can tell Sarah is both a tomboy and a girly girl.
I’m so glad that I’ve found someone else my age who takes beta blockers! I’m on propranolol at the moment, but when I was younger I took carvedilol and atenolol
my dear, think of it this way. Many, many people have died, hung out sick, went to the hospital and more. Then htey developed the medicine. Now you have this horible problem to deal wiht your meds and 4 time zones. When I put it that way it is eaxy to deal with. Peter Canonico
I so resonate with this. I have discalculia. Everyone overestimates what I can do and it’s frustrating to explain my disability when people refuse to believe it’s real.🤯🥺😖
Hello, everyone. Umm, I don't know how to say this, but I'm not in the worst condition like you. I have been suffering from dystonia since 2020, and it's been very difficult for me to write and grasp anything, like a cup or a glass. I couldn't even grab the PC mouse, and I can't even hold my phone. It's very difficult to live like this. I used to play guitar, but my dystonia doesn't allow me to play it. Every hobby I loved has been taken away from me by dystonia. I failed my exam because it's very difficult to write on paper; I can't grip a pen like other people do. I'm feeling depressed and sad. After all of this, I just want to accept my condition. Please, everyone, guide me and help me. It's very difficult to ask for help. (Apologies for my bad English.)"
![[UA] NAVI vs MOUZ | BO5 | IEM Rio 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CMBYk0cbGoA/mqdefault.jpg)
Sarah is my sister. (Yes I am the one she mentions in her talk.) I am very glad TedxYouth Dayton gave her this opportunity to speak. As she mentioned in her talk, recognizing invisible disabilities is just as important as recognizing "obvious" or visible disabilities.
I agreed with Sarah but she spoke about disability negatively which confused me after having watched another video that stated we shouldn't perceive them as bad
The word is disability, it literally means the loss of ability. It is negative, let's be realistic. But there are negatives in everyone's lives, it's not something we should hide from or pretend isn't there. Everyone just has to deal with it the best they can, regardless of how much it impedes their daily life
I have spina bifada too!!
I am Sarah with an H too!! lol
ladybiker09 O
So many people are being criticized for not "looking" disabled. It warms my heart to see such a powerful young woman taking the reins to spread awareness. Good for you! 💛
Feeling down about my chronic illness and watching videos, it made me perk up when she mentioned Cincinnati children's because that's my hospital! I'm glad i was able to find another teen I could relate my illness too
Me too! And That's not my hospital but it's where my family lives and it's pretty much my hometown.
It has been my personal experience too that invisible handicaps are more difficult to live with.Others don't believe you when you tell them that you have a disability.But these videos also teach that we should strive to be overcomers.
i have a invisible disability i have depression and bad thoughts and anxiety and my grandad never believed me i was disabled and my grandad had learning diffucuties
i’m on disability for depression and anxiety it sucks
She made very good points about invisible illnesses. I suffer from chronic pain myself, several bulging discs and degenerative disc disorder in my neck along with narrowing and flattening of my spinal cord. I also severe TMJ (jaw pain and very limited opening). I also have pretty severe depression and anxiety, some of which stems directly from living with chronic pain, and I also have high blood pressure. I'm 32, so none of this is fun and it's definitely frustrating sometimes that people can't see my issues. However, I so have to strongly disagree with her statement that "all disabilities are the same and one is not worse than another. They are all equally as bad." I think she was going for a specific point here, but that statement is really misinformed. Yes, all disabilities deserve acknowledgement, respect, accommodations, etc, but there are some higher functioning than others. Some that require countless hours and me dollars to maintain. Some that limit a person's ability to work or to have a family, etc. I'm thankful every day that I have the mobility I have. Yes I'm limited in my daily activities, but I can walk and play with my kids. I would never say my issues are just as bad as someone with a life threatening or otherwise severe disability or illness.
Thank you for sharing this story - everything said about chronic health conditions and invisible disabilities is something that more people should speak out about. The challenges of having a chronic disability is difficult - add to it being an invisible disability and being young becomes a challenge in and of itself. People say "you're too young to have so many medical problems" and they say it in a way that is like - they'll believe it when they see it. So many chronic health conditions & diseases that are invisible disabilities are extremely challenging and they affect the quality of life for so many people. There is much to be said on this topic and I think this young lady is a pioneer for spreading awareness of this issue.
Sarah is someone that’s been there for me for so much and she is such an understanding and compassionate person. I’m so proud to see her up on a stage speaker her mind
I liked your talk. So honest and authentic- I also have a invisable disability and you spoke well! Best to you- keep on telling your and your bros story!
once she said she was diagnosed with Long QT syndrome I was so damn excited. I have the same issue and I too take a beta blocker. Even better yet, I was in band throughout highschool, colorguard specifically. Everything she described is accurate and I can feel her pain once she discussed the struggles she has to face that others take for granted. She did an amazing job 💕
*Some disabilities are invisible, your reaction to them is not.*
This is an excellent & very honest talk. Very well said, hopefully she knows how appreciative some are to hear this & know their not alone. 💞
dear Sarah, how do you keep your heart rate steady standing on that stage! you're unbelievably brave! God bless you and Justin!
She is a fantastic speaker for someone so young.
I have an invisible disability that I was diagnosed with when I was six months old, and when we go on holiday we sometimes get stopped, because I’m not in a wheelchair anymore even though I still get the side effects of my surgery, and people think I’m just wearing a lanyard but not disabled. One time they got my dad to drink half of the medicine I needed before letting us through. I don’t know what they thought it was but they actually said I looked fine. I loved this talk and it just reminded me of that. Half of my meds. Gone. For a two week holiday
She is so young, its so great that she supports her family and is so ambitious. Very inspirational for my vlogs. Thank you for sharing!
Very brave young lady. Your family must be very proud. I liver with an "invisible disability" and you are so right about people not being able to quite grasp 100% some things when they can't see them.
What a inspirational young lady ,and her brother also x we complain about silly things all the time ,instead we should be blessed to be healthy x my daughter had a brain tumour removed when she was 3 years she is 34 now x she has 3 chronic conditions. She is always in and out of hospital x But in all these years I have never heard her complain about anything to do with her health x she is my absolute hero x I tend to find children and young adults that have chronic illness never do complain they have this special power with in them selfs to get on with life and cope x Beautiful young girl x x 🥰
I got three invisible disabilities. I am afraid to tell people who I don’t know. A lot of times, I feel like exploding. I have chronic insomnia. I am not sure why. I have some kind of lung condition. I grew up healthy. Maybe I was
healthier than most kids and young people. Now, I am frustrated with my bronchioctisis. It ruined my pride. My pulmonary doctor retired. He understands what it’s like to have this better than everyone else. Now he retired. I hope that you will live a long life. I am sorry for your suffering. I hope that you feel better.
GREAT vid! It is incredibly difficult living w/disabilities - thank you so much for doing this talk!
I am 31 with TOF/APV which is a complex congenital heart defects. I have had two open heart surgeries. Thanks to my congenital heart team at Hopkins I am stable and doing much better today.
I started a beta blocker and an ACE inhibitor at the age of 24. Should have been much earlier, but it took a long time to figure out what was wrong with me as my EKGs are normal...had to have an echocardiogram! Fortunately these drugs are usually well tolerated and have made a huge difference for me. But yes, there’s no such thing as “too young to be sick” and there’s no such thing as “looking disabled.” Anyone could have a disability - if they’ve adapted well and are ‘abled-passing’ you might even know them pretty well and have no idea.
Sarah is adorable, articulate and shines a light on a subject a lot of people never think about. I appreciate her opening this discussion.
This talk truly resonates with me! I agree individuals with invisible disabilities shouldn't be treated differently than others with visible disabilities.
Great job ❤ invisible illness have to be treated same as visible illness
Because of my own invisible disability, I had to listen to your video at 0.7 speed, in order to be able to cope with the large amount of information being presented. Otherwise I found your talk to be an excellent one. I also like your use of humour to lighten up what is after all a serious subject. I can easily identify with everything you have said about the way in which doctors and the general public view invisible chronic illnesses very differently from visible acute, short term conditions. Wondering how both of you are going, with this having been posted in December 2015. And while the end of this pandemic, is not easy to predict.
I have some personal invisible disabilities such as a little auti sm, central auditory disorder, panic disorder and complex partial epilepsy but I am a girl college student and my mom I always looked up too even my three dogs and a rabbit. I just wish that other people realize how important it is to learn about invisible disabilities in a respectful manner and be an organization that respects those with these problems.
What a great opportunity to be able to talk about disability with Tedx Talks. (:
Sad to know. Now a days humans are all born with or without seeing disability. Why are these mysterious mysteries occur. Hopefully many of us grow n learn to become loving kind n serving humanity. Great talk. Thank you, bless you. All your dreams come true.
I have Nail Patella Syndrome which can be seen and noticed by those who know or doctors, but mostly people don't realise that I have a disability. At 17 I have to walk with walking aids and sit down. I used to love playing netball and walking but now I'm not aloud to do anything that is high impact. Everyday I commute to my college on a train and bus, I can't stand up on either, despite having a obvious walking aid people do not give me a seat, even if they are in the disabled seating, I have anxiety and don't like to ask people to move. Even sitting down for a long period of time can really hurt. Later this year I am going to Harry Potter world, I am worried that I won't be able to walk around it and disappoint myself...a hardcore Potterhead and my sister who also love HP. I can not be cured, surgery is possible but there is a chance it could get worse. In the UK there are only a few doctors that specialises in NPS, I am going to see one in a few days.
The worst thing in the world is defending what you hate. 😢
You are so sweet , life is not fair. Please understand this. It gets easier when you understand that.
IT IS SO TRUE! I have an invisible physical disability. I have CRPS and I can't lift more than 2 pounds and struggle with chronic pain as well as limited range of motion in my right arm. Most of the time I don't wear a wrist support or compression gloves, so if you were to look at me you wouldn't really notice a physical disability- unless you look close at the swelling and color change in my right hand and arm. I worry about traveling and think how am i going to be able to put my carry on in the overhead and what if a flight attendant doesnt want to help because they think im totally capable of doing it myself. I get anxious about traveling but i want to so bad. it is sad that i cant even lift my carry on bag. she is right when she says you have to start thinking about things that no one really pays attention to
This girl is legit! Her message is real. I have hydrocephalus + a device in my brain. On the outside I look fine but the when/if the device fails (without warning) I have to get emergency brain surgery (and/or risk coma, death, brain + eye + ear damage). The condition affects 1 in 750 babies but is severely underfunded because the affected largely seem normal. (Unless they have brain damage.)
How is this teenager such a good public speaker!?
Sarah made good points about her congenital heart defect disease. Sarah has a pretty name. Sarah is so smart and friendly. It sucks Sarah can't do sports and drink caffeine. I wonder if Sarah can still drink soda, do PE, run in PE, and play jump rope. I'm wondering if Sarah Skinner goes by any nicknames and when is her birthday. What's Sarah Skinner's favorite color, flower, sport, and middle name? Who's Sarah Skinner's favorite Disney princess? I'm guessing Sarah's favorite color is green or blue. I can tell Sarah is both a tomboy and a girly girl.
my greetings to you and to your brother.
You are amazing
I have found that Nichiren Buddhist spirituality helps me deal with my own invisible disabilities.
I’m so glad that I’ve found someone else my age who takes beta blockers! I’m on propranolol at the moment, but when I was younger I took carvedilol and atenolol
my dear, think of it this way. Many, many people have died, hung out sick, went to the hospital and more. Then htey developed the medicine. Now you have this horible problem to deal wiht your meds and 4 time zones. When I put it that way it is eaxy to deal with. Peter Canonico
Blue = hypoxeia. Qt interval which is prolonged is dangerous.
I so resonate with this. I have discalculia. Everyone overestimates what I can do and it’s frustrating to explain my disability when people refuse to believe it’s real.🤯🥺😖
Sarah is great, isn't she?
Does this have Closed Caption avail?
Hello, everyone. Umm, I don't know how to say this, but I'm not in the worst condition like you. I have been suffering from dystonia since 2020, and it's been very difficult for me to write and grasp anything, like a cup or a glass. I couldn't even grab the PC mouse, and I can't even hold my phone. It's very difficult to live like this. I used to play guitar, but my dystonia doesn't allow me to play it. Every hobby I loved has been taken away from me by dystonia. I failed my exam because it's very difficult to write on paper; I can't grip a pen like other people do. I'm feeling depressed and sad.
After all of this, I just want to accept my condition. Please, everyone, guide me and help me. It's very difficult to ask for help. (Apologies for my bad English.)"
Do pacemakers help this condition?
If you liked this video, please join my group on Facebook called The Magic of Inclusion!
I feel so bad of her and her brother
Captions.....?
A heart defect is NOT INVISIBLE.