Here, Trisha Taylor, 30, tells the story in her own words.
โThatโs him!โ my friend whispered.
We were at uni together and she kept going on about Mike โ a handsome 185cm tall blond.
But, giving him the once over, I wasnโt blown away.
Showering me with attention, he seemed to have a soft spot for me though.
Aged 18, I didnโt give him the time of day.
I might be 86cm tall, but I make up for it in sass!
Born with a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, my bones are so brittle that a sneeze or a big hug can leave me with multiple fractures.
Iโve always been in a wheelchair, but moving out of home at 17, it had never stopped me doing anything.
โMark my words โ heโs into me!โ I told my carer about Mike later that night.
Spending more time with Michael over the next few days, my first impression quickly changed.
So funny, he had me in stitches.
After that, we hung out every day and became best friends. My family loved him too!
Three months in, lying on the couch together, we had our first kiss.
Iโm going to marry him, I knew in my heart.
Michael was more than twice my height, but to us, that didnโt matter.
Before we could be intimate, however, we had to speak frankly, as we were both aware just how easily I could be hurt.
Because we werenโt touchy feely out and about, we didnโt get many odd looks. Sometimes, strangers mistook Michael for my dad or brother though!
Nearly a year on, Michael took me on a horse and carriage.
โWill you marry me?โ he asked while I sat on his lap.
โYes!โ I exclaimed.
Our wedding was perfect.
Wearing an ivory dress, nipped and tucked to fit me perfectly, the extra fabric was used by my mum and aunt to create a pretty wheelchair cover.
During the ceremony, the bridal party and Michael sat down so they were at the same level as me. For our first dance, Michael picked me up, and held me to him.
After four years of marriage, I wanted a baby.
โYou canโt get pregnant,โ a specialist told me, bluntly. โIt would kill you.โ
โWhat part of it will kill me?โ I insisted.
He explained that as the baby grew, itโd put extreme pressure on my brittle bones.
โIt could break your back,โ the doctor said.
โBut wouldnโt it gradually start to cause me problems? And if it came to that, youโd do a C-section and get the baby out?โ I pressed.
Iโd done my research!
After falling pregnant we found another supportive doctor but others had something to say about it too.
โWhat if you pass on your condition? Thatโd be selfish!โ some said.
I was scared, but my life was beautiful โ and, if that was the diagnosis, Iโd make sure my babyโs was too.
At 15 weeks, we found out our bub didnโt have brittle bone disease.
But my pregnancy was tough. At 18 weeks, I was on oxygen. A fortnight later, I was on full bed rest.
And at 32 weeks, our sweet baby boy, Maven, was delivered via caesarean.
Weighing just 388 grams, he was tiny. But, at 43cm long, he was already half his mummyโs size!
Back home, we had a special crib that opened at the front and Michael built an elevated playpen for Maven that I could pull up to in my wheelchair.
An old soul, my boy seemed to know to be gentle, and he never wriggled or squirmed in my arms.
But, sometimes I would break a bone picking him up!
Home alone one night when he was 15 months old, my wheelchair brake locked, and I couldnโt move.
Maven was crawling on the floor, and my phone was on charge out of reach.
What if he chokes on something? I panicked.
When Maven started to cry, instinct set in.
I hope I donโt break too many bones, I thought, as I jumped out of my chair.
Rolling onto the floor, I was able to grab my charger cord dangling from the kitchen bench.
Knocking the phone to the floor, I called my carer for help.
Bruising my back and fracturing my tibia, it was worth it to make sure my baby boy was safe.
By two, Maven was bigger than me! Now four, when he sits on my lap in my chair, I canโt see over his head.
โDaddyโs big and youโre little,โ Maven said recently.
โDo you want a big mummy?โ I asked.
โI like you how you are,โ my sweet boy replied.
One day, Michael and I want to adopt a baby. I wonโt risk another pregnancy and Maven losing his mum.
At the park, I get curious questions from other kids.
โWhy canโt you walk? Why are you little? Why are your legs like that?โ theyโll ask.
โThis is how I was made,โ I reply.
And Iโve never let that get in my way.
In my lifetime, Iโve broken more than 600 bones.
But Iโm proof that itโs possible to follow your dreams โ no matter what!
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