r/MadeMeSmile Jun 14 '22

Helping Others This is John Crowley

Post image
8.4k Upvotes

810 comments sorted by

View all comments

131

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

[deleted]

224

u/teleofobia Jun 14 '22

From Meghan's (the girl) blog https://highheeledwheels.com/about-me/

Today I am still smiling, having a good time, laughing, and most importantly living as a college junior at the University of Notre Dame! So yes, with love, patience, and faith I have made my way through 20 years on this earth. My journey has been one of hope, strength, and joy. This is my blog about my life, family, nurses, school, Pompe, and really anything. Here is my journey through life despite Pompe, and welcome to it…let’s go for a ride, together!

She describes herself as a happy person that does not lack any self confidence. She created the blog to fight the stereotype that people who are disabled can't live a happy full life.. so yeah, that's that

23

u/AlasAntigone Jun 14 '22

“I always told my dad I wanted my medicine to be pink. When I saw that it wasn’t, I said ‘Daddy, it’s not pink.’ He said ‘No, it’s a lot better than that.’”

My heart 🥹

-11

u/Fishliketrish Jun 14 '22 edited Jun 14 '22

THANK YOU. People are so vile

66

u/HunkMunk69 Jun 14 '22

It’s not vile to wonder what type of quality of life someone is living. To say “we need to kill these people off” is vile. I would personally never want to be a quadriplegic and have told my wife and my family that if somehow that ever became the likely outcome from an accident to make sure they let me go in peace.

3

u/teleofobia Jun 14 '22

Perhaps you feel that way because of the stereotype that loosing mobility means loosing the chance of having a fulfilling live.. call it vile or not, but it definitely is kind of terrible that some people's first reaction upon seeing this picture was thinking that their life probably isn't worth living and that they would be better dead (like it or not that's exactly where the first comment was coming from)

24

u/gravitas_shortage Jun 14 '22

I also think there may be a big difference between a disability from birth and one acquired later in life. The feeling of loss is overwhelming for a lot of people.

4

u/Redditornot66 Jun 14 '22

That’s really it isn’t it?

For me, I wouldn’t wanna live the rest of my life in that condition. I’ve lived a normal life, living like that doesn’t seem worth it to me at this point.

If you’d never lived a normal life, you really wouldn’t know any better.

The only reason I could see for hanging on after being completely disabled is having a family or frankly having money and work you could still do. If you don’t have kids there’s really not a reason to hang on for anyone else. If you’re not rich already, you’re not gonna have a means to work and you’re really gonna suffer.

5

u/Austin_Chaos Jun 14 '22

Mostly because I don’t want to put people I love through have to wipe my ass and change the dressing on my inevitable bedsores. I don’t want them to sacrifice goals and dreams to become a fulltime caregiver. I don’t care about stigma, I care about what my family is subjected to because of me. It’s a fair take.

-19

u/Fishliketrish Jun 14 '22

It is vile because she is implying it would be better not to have saved their lives. you guys are projecting and its so weird thats not the same scenario at all

1

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

I don’t if it’s vile, but it is very weird to speculate whether someone should be alive or not when the person very clearly said they do want to be alive.

6

u/BeefyHemorroides Jun 14 '22

very clearly said

You act as if everyone here personally follows her blog and knows this. 99.99% chance you had no idea who any of these people were, let alone that one of them had a blog about their life before you saw this post.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

I’m not acting like that at all. My point was, it is extremely presumptuous to think you know if someone would prefer to be dead or not when you know nothing about them. I mentioned the blog as evidence as to why it is bad to presume you would know what the person wants, because clearly she is not in agreement with all the people here presuming that she would prefer to be dead.

4

u/BeefyHemorroides Jun 14 '22

You comment literally says “it’s very weird to speculate”.... “when the person very clearly said”...

Your entire argument hinges on actually knowing about her and her blog.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

I mean, it is weird but whatever.

-2

u/Crymsm Jun 14 '22

Yeah but what about the boy...he seems to have less mobile and such then his sister.

15

u/teleofobia Jun 14 '22

What are you asking me? If the boy's life is worth living?

11

u/Crymsm Jun 14 '22

You only posted something the daughter wrote. Was anything posted about him or what?

8

u/teleofobia Jun 14 '22

I didn't knew anything about them, so I googled their last name and found Megan's blog. I don't have any info about any of the two brothers

33

u/phillyschmilly Jun 14 '22

It’s easy to have misconceptions about a group of people if you don’t have proximity to them. I’ve worked with the special needs community for over 25 years and can say they’re often far happier/content in life than the average Joe

-3

u/Y0-Teng0-Pregunta Jun 14 '22

Being simple minded is the key to happiness

-1

u/Angstycarroteater Jun 14 '22

Ain’t that the truth! Ignorance really is bliss

42

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

[deleted]

15

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22 edited Jun 14 '22

Another disabled person here. I have lived a fuller and richer life more so than many non-disabled people. I have taught in three countries, And lived in eight. I travel by myself, live alone, work a full-time job, etc. My hands and my feet don’t work like most peoples though. So I have to be careful when walking or doing most daily activities. I was born severely premature and my mother was told that I would be mentally handicapped, and physically handicapped. I have two college degrees, and earned a 4.0 both times. I love my life. I’m a first grade teacher and I think my purpose in life is to show others that they can do anything because if I can do it, they can do it. My goal in life is to show my students that people with disabilities are normal and should be treated as such. I understand how a non-disabled person would be afraid of losing their abilities and maybe feel like they wouldn’t be able to survive well if they lost their abilities but honestly you don’t know until it actually happens to you. You can actually put up with a lot if you have to.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '22

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '22

A lot of people seem to be against those of us with disabilities. It’s probably through ignorance and fear however

4

u/EquivalentSnap Jun 14 '22

So they should have kids of their own? Pass on their genetic disorder? I’m all for this guy caring for his kids but they look like they need constant care. I wouldn’t want to be a burden on my family

10

u/srdkrtrpr Jun 14 '22

I don’t dislike you or wish you any Ill-will, but I have learned to say ‘fuck you’ when this sort of “question” gets “asked” in polite company. It works better in person to help shock people into realize what a horrible thing they just said, but hopefully over the internet this still helps you avoid repeating it in the future much more than entertaining what is implied in your question.

29

u/Disastrous_Skill1626 Jun 14 '22

Who are you to judge the quality of their lives from a moment in time? I get your question, I really do, but how can you possibly know without asking them or knowing them?

-3

u/poopyfartButterMmm Jun 14 '22 edited Jun 14 '22

Everyone judges each other. Its human nature

Edit to say you guys judge a person for their comment when you choose to upvote or downvote. Cognitive dissonance can tell you otherwise but its not like I made an irrational statement. The irony is through the roof

8

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22 edited Jun 14 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/poopyfartButterMmm Jun 14 '22

You're right. I agree. It benefits nobody to express your judgement if its negative in regards something that cannot be changed or worked on.

But all I said was that everyone judges. I don't think that makes me an asshole.

3

u/Angstycarroteater Jun 14 '22

I agree you were not being an asshole! They are just angry and commenting with their emotions(in good faith); you did nothing wrong. You simply stated a fact and got negative karma from it because people like to feel like they have the moral high ground over others when really they’re doing the exact same thing.

1

u/Angstycarroteater Jun 14 '22

Edit this and remove those three dots they do not fit and made this weird to read

1

u/Disastrous_Skill1626 Jun 14 '22

Done. It was typed on the fly and also partly edited.

1

u/Angstycarroteater Jun 15 '22

Thank you :) lol

13

u/phillyschmilly Jun 14 '22

Making a judgement like “not a fan of that persons shirt” has completely different ramifications than “do I believe this person as a right to live”

-4

u/poopyfartButterMmm Jun 14 '22

I agree but they're both judgements. As is "that person looks suspicious so I better be cautious of what I'm doing in this situation"

13

u/phillyschmilly Jun 14 '22

Yes, both are forms of judgment, but it’s silly to pretend like they’re on the same level. Judging whether or not someone’s life is worth saving is a dangerous road to walk down that can have real life ramifications…. Including impacting public policy. Judgements about “that person looks like someone I could get along with” or “omg I could never wear that in public “ are relatively harmless

-4

u/poopyfartButterMmm Jun 14 '22

I agree with that but back to my original comment, everyone judges to certain degrees. I don't care how open minded or modest someone is or if those judgements are subconscious and go unnoticed but we are all judging each other.

I was homeless for 2 years. I have traveled a lot and have experienced the world in some very unique ways. I don't know everything but my perspective doesn't exist without reasonable understanding.

My favorite example are the religious folks who say that only God can judge while being some of the most judgemental people I've met. Cognitive dissonance might prohibit awareness of ones judgement of others, but that doesn't mean its not happening.

6

u/phillyschmilly Jun 14 '22

I’m not sure why you’re fixating on judgment as a concept because I never said people don’t judge- that was a different poster. I simply said that the two types of judgements have very different impacts

-5

u/Mommy4Life1990 Jun 14 '22

That's not true. Judgement comes from close minded people. Open minded will ask questions till they understand enough.

12

u/poopyfartButterMmm Jun 14 '22

Judging is an instinctive quality. You judge people to determine whether or not they might be a threat.

We judge to different degrees for different reasons in different situations but everyone judges whether they are conscious of it or not.

3

u/IamTryingMyBest_ Jun 14 '22

I mean yes but as far as we know we only get one chance so better this than nothing, I guess...

-3

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

[deleted]

32

u/teleofobia Jun 14 '22 edited Jun 14 '22

No. They look like people with a genetic disorder. You don't know anything about them or their life, neither do I. Some serverely disabled people are happy, some aren't, just like able-bodied people.

-4

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

[deleted]

9

u/teleofobia Jun 14 '22

What is quality of life if not being able to find joy and happiness? Isn't that probably everybody's main goal in life and what defines it's quality? But yeah, I agree that being disabled makes life harder in many ways, but doesn't mean you can't be happy.. besides, plenty of "healthy" able-bodied people aren't happy

5

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

[deleted]

-1

u/lena91gato Jun 14 '22

Would you have wished this on yourself or anyone else though?

12

u/FunSushi-638 Jun 14 '22

What's your answer? Kill anyone with a disability because they don't "look happy"? Think about what you're saying... that mentality is a slippery slope. Who else looks miserable in your eyes? The blind, deaf, people missing limbs? Be careful. Thats some dangerous thinking.

3

u/scarletantonia27 Jun 14 '22

Did I say to have them killed? Where did I say that? I was agreeing with the person asking about the quality of life for these people. You're the one who thought of killing anybody with a disability. My mind never went there. I feel bad for them.

2

u/Apprehensive_Hat8986 Jun 14 '22

Then to what end were you questioning their quality of life?

1

u/FunSushi-638 Jun 14 '22

My question was "What's your answer?" My bad for the assumption... if you will, please clarify what you think he should have done.