[dropcap]J[\/dropcap]an. 24, 2018 marked Moebius Awareness Day, a cause to which Kelsey Ferrill has dedicated her life.<\/p>\n
Ferrill, a 27-year-old SAIT journalism graduate, was born with the condition and has been using her life experiences, both negative and positive, to bring about awareness to the syndrome.<\/p>\n
Brandishing a purple bracelet, Ferrill invites others to ask questions and gain an understanding of Moebius.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople ask about it [the bracelet] and what it symbolizes. I then have an opportunity to tell them about Moebius and, for the most part, people are usually really receptive and eager to know more,\u201d Ferrill explained in an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully it sparks something bigger and they go home and actually research it or tell others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moebius syndrome is a neurological condition that can cause limb abnormalities, breathing problems, speech impairment, and autism spectrum disorders among other symptoms.<\/p>\n
However, its main manifestation is facial paralysis, causing individuals to be unable to smile, frown or move their eyes laterally.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest challenges individuals with Moebius syndrome face is they\u2019re often perceived as being mentally disabled or unfriendly, due to their inability to produce facial expressions.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople tend to assume that just because I look different, I must have a mental disability as well. I can definitely tell when people think that, just by the way they talk to me,\u201d said Ferrill.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is so patronizing and humiliating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferrill was bullied all through her childhood, and unfortunately it hasn\u2019t ceased with adulthood.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdults still bully. They are just less obvious about it, they still make comments, they still stare, and a lot are still pretty close-minded,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets easier to deal with, because you can\u2019t say anything to me that I haven\u2019t already heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferrill said it\u2019s not so much the bullying that bothers her, but the misconceptions about her appearance.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot being seen as an equal is hard to deal with,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, having Moebius syndrome has produced very meaningful relationships for Ferrill, as her friends are the ones who have looked past her physical differences and accept her for the person that she is.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are strong and courageous people because they\u2019ve gotten to know me even though there\u2019s an obvious difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of Ferrill’s closest friends admitted to Ferrill that, at first, she was afraid to approach Ferrill because of a fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n
Ferrill is currently studying communications at the University of Calgary because there are so many stories she feels need to be told, especially those of the marginalized.<\/p>\n
\u201cSociety claims to be so inclusive of different groups of people such as those in the LGBTQ community and other minorities, [but] people with disabilities are still viewed as different, and society is still not inclusive towards them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s [the communications program] a chance to educate and help shape the society that I want to see, and that means making people more tolerant and accepting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ferrill said she wants society to treat those with disabilities with the same respect that they would any other person.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people with differences to have the same opportunities that everyone else does, whether it\u2019s work, school, or relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cause of Moebius syndrome is unknown and it\u2019s extremely rare, with estimates of it affecting between two and 20 of every one million people.<\/p>\n
People tend to assume that just because I look different, I must have a mental disability as well. -Kelsey Ferrill.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ferrill encourages anyone looking for more information about Moebius syndrome to visit, moebiussyndrome.org<\/a>. or moebiussyndrome.info<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferences really can hold people back,\u201d said Ferrill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what needs to change in society, and I vow to make that happen.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"