I am inspired by the life of Nick Vujicic, an American-Australian Christian evangelist and motivational speaker. He was born with a rare disorder called Tetra Amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs.
Nick was born in Melbourne, Australia, to his parents Dušanka and Borislav Vujicic. His parents are Serbian immigrants from Yugoslavia. Nick was born without fully formed limbs. At first, both of his parents didn’t like the fact that their son was disabled, yet they finally accepted the condition and understood it as God’s plan for their son.
As a kid, Nick had an operation to separate his toes on one of his feet because they were fused together. Later in life, as a funny joke, Nick called them his chicken drumsticks. When he was 17 years old, Nick’s mother showed him a newspaper article about a woman with a severe disability, praying. That led Nick to start praying in his prayer group. He graduated from Griffith University at 21 years old, earning a bachelor’s degree in Commerce with a double major in accounting and financial planning.
In 2007, Vujicic found Attitude is Altitude, a secular motivational speaking company. He also starred in a film called “The Butterfly Circus.” In 2010, he was awarded best actor in a short film for his starring role as Will.
Nick has always wanted to help people, so he decided to write books. Since 2010, he has written eight books, including his first book, “Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life,” which was published by Random House. It has been translated into over 30 different languages. In his first book, Nick tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle that he encountered while having to deal with them as child, teenager and adult. Nick has always wondered if there was anyone on earth that was like him. He also wondered if there was any other purpose for his life rather than pain and humiliation.
Nick’s message to others is this: “the most important goal is to find your life’s purpose and to never give up, despite whether difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in your way.”
About Zoe Hernandez: Zoe lives in Meriden, Connecticut. A Quantum® brand ambassador, Zoe attends Abilities Expos and speaks with people about her disability. She is currently enrolled in college and hopes to work in a community one day with people who are just like her. Click here to learn more about Zoe.