Having A Positive Outlook While Living With Dwarfism -- Michele Struss -- 1/2

Michelle Struss is an amazing young woman, born with a form of dwarfism that has limited and challenged her life in many ways. Michelle has not allowed those challenges to quench the very obvious artistic talent that she possesses, and we are thrilled that she has taken some time away from the studio to hang out with us on the couch for a while. Michelle, welcome to Full Circle. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. We are so excited to have you. Yeah, and you're our kind of girl. I love We're liking the bling. Okay, so Michelle exactly help us understand your condition and and how common is it? It's a form of dwarfism. There are probably 200 forms and mine is known to have hip and spinal problems and Of which I've had many of both. I've been in the OR approximately 25 times as a result Walked poorly, but had surgery when I was 14 and Never after surgery was put on crutches and Never got off of them now for 13 years and I have neurological damage part of the spinal problem and They left that the damp spinal damage left me dependent on the crutches And I kept believing and praying and I said if ever I don't need my crutches I'm gonna burn them But that day came. Okay, I want to get to that in just a moment. But first I know that as a parent It must have been a very difficult journey for your parents And I know you have some pictures as a little girl some of what it is that you lived through Yes, let's have a look at some of the pictures you brought with you. What are we looking at? Oh, look at little Michelle That is a spinal fusion a halo cast after one of my spinal fusions. I was three years old there Yes smile and drinking from a straw. That's an intensive care And that was my second spinal fusion. I was five years old then What memories do you have of those times? You know, I have positive memories. God has just so Blessed me and I have positive memories of the hospital of my times there Growing up as as a young child and then even to a teenager. I mean was there a sense of people Understanding and accepting you or was there a sense of people not? You know, I am being uncomfortable not knowing how to interact with you. Honestly again I've just had a Protection about me and going off to school. My mom sent me off my parents to kindergarten She prayed two specific prayers over me one shut the lion's mouth And I I just I didn't have kids make fun of me I just and her second prayer was to put a magnet on me and God has just blessed me with With friends and just not what you would expect. I have not had to grow up in a Atmosphere of judgment or name-calling Because you grew up with this so this is all you ever knew But what happens when you realize and you go to school and you see oh, this isn't how other people are Yeah, do you know what? I have had many friends actually say to me I don't think of you as any different Michelle and honestly, that is how I've always been treated. So I don't feel different Because I've always been this way, you know, I'm used to coming up to this height at whatever or compared to someone else that's my norm and those around me have treated me as well as It's normal. Is there anyone else in your family that shares this? No, no, just myself But is I don't know how to pronounce here your form of dwarfism Is that something that you can inherit I know you just said that it's not in your family, but generally it's it's a new mutation so Different forms of dwarfism. Yes, but not my form Yeah, now you alluded earlier you've been praying and just asking God to release you from the crutches Yes, the day came when God just enabled my body to walk independently of the crutches with a simple light cane and so He enabled me to fulfill my dream and my prayer and in front of over a hundred family and friends they flew in from other countries and I threw I mean You have to walk with crutches for 13 years to fully know what it was like to pick up one crutch at a time and just Hurl it into the fire. It was a gift A gift now you were telling us as well that God has taken your journey on some twists and turns Absolutely, two and a half years ago. I fell and I broke my pelvis and It broke on a side where I have a hip replacement already and it caused several complications I've had two operations since then With just complications all along so for now, I am back on crutches But God has promised me good things and I believe I believe he's given me amazing faith for this journey that I am on right now and I have a choice, you know, if If I'm gonna believe what I see around me and what I feel or what God has spoken to me I think that's the key because I look at you and you could go well I can't do what most people can do. I can't reach like, you know what I'm saying? I can't I can't do what sort of normal height people can do right but I look at you and your countenance and personality It's like bring it on. I mean I can function I can live life and and is the key I mean, I know that sounds like your parents are really involved in helping you with that in your community and friends But what is faith though? I mean, I mean there's so many parts right that have inspired you but what's what's the key? You know what faith for me my circumstances do not need to change for me to be victorious I am victorious and that is my faith. That is God Empowering me to rise above and to have hope no matter what in all seasons to have joy No matter what so many people have known Especially the past two and a half years have been difficult and how you doing Michelle? I'm awesome You are yeah. Oh my body's not yeah, but I am I am awesome And I think when you when you have something like a physical limitation You can choose to focus on the limitation or you can develop and and I think it's interesting what you were saying before about how God gave you that dream, but there are so many more dreams than you and things that he gave you internally Mm-hmm that have come out of this whole journey. Absolutely. It's It's amazing You know what you are right and it's because I have chosen to look for God's fingerprints in my journey and see the good and see the value and Because it's there it's in anything God allows things for purposes and and when we allow him it good comes out of it and Absolutely now God's fingerprints Bridget are all over Michelle your journey Your your gift of art you have such an overwhelmingly God gift of art So I know that you've you've brought some pictures to share with us of some of your work And how God is taking your gift of art to bless other people you are truly looking outside of yourself to use this gift