Every once in a while, you come across an inspiring story that either changes the way you think or pushes your beliefs to further depths. That happened to me yesterday.
The story begins with a young woman who suffered an unimaginable tragedy at her bachelorette party. Five years ago Rachelle Chapman was celebrating her forthcoming marriage when a friend and bridesmaid of hers playfully pushed her into a pool.
In that split second, her life changed forever.
The innocent push left Chapman a quadriplegic, and she is known around the world as the ‘paralyzed bride’.
Through the agonizing hardships that followed, she persevered. She married her fiance three years ago, and in April 2014 she became a mom.
This week, she is back in the news – to show the world a different view of beauty and sexuality.
In this stunning boudoir-style photo shoot, Chapman hopes to convey to the world that those with disabilities are not asexual and that they can, in fact, be quite sensual human beings – catheter bag and all.
“With these images, I’m saying, this is who I am, this is what I look like, this is what I feel like. I’m still sexy, I’m still a woman, I can still be intimate, but I’m still the exact same person when I get in my chair every morning,” she told TODAY.com. “It was a good, positive image to show who I am and what I look like and give a different face to disability.“
Her reasoning for summoning the courage to put herself out there in this way was clear; she wanted to show people that feel there is something ‘wrong’ with them that in reality, there is not.
Whether you have a disability, a few extra pounds (or could use a few more), or any other perceived imperfection, remember that you define it – it does not define you.
So embrace YOUR beauty. Own it.
Then, share this inspiring story with someone in your life who needs to look past their insecurities to see the amazing person that they are!
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