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I was born without arm limbs and knee joints
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The syndrome affects about 1 in 100,000 births, so it's pretty rare
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I'm roughly 4'1", I mean that's what I tell myself at least
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If I had knees, I'd be normal height. I'm always cracking jokes about not having arms and legs
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and I know that when I go out people are going to stare and look, but so what
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I know I wouldn't have the kind of positivity that I have on life if it wasn't for this disability
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My name is Colby and I was born without arm limbs and without knee joints
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The name of the syndrome is Tarr, thrombocytopenia with absent radius and it affects about 1 in
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100,000 births so it's pretty rare. I'm roughly 4'1", I mean that's what I tell myself at least
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If I had knees I would be normal height. Straight off from the bat, I mean, I realized that
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oh, I don't have arms and legs, that was different. I see myself as just a regular person
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so I want to do everything that anyone else is doing. Is this supposed to be hot today
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I fully independent to bathing myself I able to cook for myself dress myself Adaptation I just have like a dressing stick that helps me
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If I have to use something to reach, I can use a chair. Or just figure it out in just different ways
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When he was really young, they were trying to figure out how Kobe could go from line to sitting
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And the therapist had no idea how to do that. And he managed on his own
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And that was a big key to me that let him figure it out. We've always said to them, don't tell me what you can't do, show me what you can do
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I'm one of eight adopted children, and we're all adopted. We all have different various backgrounds
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When we first saw Kobe, he was absolutely beautiful. Couldn't ask for a more perfect baby in our eyes
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He had the full head of curly hair, and he was cute
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I think he was six weeks old when we brought him home
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It was a learning process, but basically we realized, you know, he's going to have a full life
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He's going to do what everybody else does. When I was younger growing up, in my family itself, I was never excluded
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But when I started going to school I realized all right yeah I not like the other kids And as a teenager he I think basically just wanted to fit in with everybody else and not be looked at as so different He very outgoing
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He's never let anybody define him but himself. Let's go. Larry, come here, buddy
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It took time to become confident. Hey, buddy. But I just accepted myself
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Yes, I'm not the same as other people, but, I mean, who is? I know I wouldn't be in the position I am
3:00
I wouldn't have the kind of positivity that I have on life if it wasn't for this disability
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I downloaded TikTok just for the fun of it. And I thought, eh, why not? Let's try one. Let's make one
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And it exploded. It got like 5 million views. And I said, well, I guess that's good feedback
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So I decided, well, let's start making more. It's just been going crazy
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A lot of my videos are a lot of jokes regarding my disability
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By making jokes and making these silly videos that I'm having fun and I'm accepting myself
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I'm just doing it just to have fun. Just to show people that I'm just like anyone else
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It's blown up a little bit. It's got, within what, an hour? It's got about 2,600 views
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Not too bad. Normally, if I get about 1,000 for the first hour or so
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each hour then I pretty happy with it I get a wide range of comments I get ones that are not really appropriate I get ones that are very nice and encouraging Might be nervous to ask me in person
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People are more willing to ask questions about my disability in the comment section
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than they would in real life. A TikTok is definitely as an old
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I think beauty is loving yourself and just living your life. Every time I go out, I always get like the stares
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the finger point. It's kind of got to block out that stuff
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and he can't really let it affect you. Colby's pretty good with this disability
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It's like he doesn't even have one really for him. We're both a piece, yeah
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A lot of people use excuses, and he never does. People say, like, your brother
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like, he's a big inspiration to me. He's an inspiration to a lot of people
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When I look in the mirror, I see myself as me living my life
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the best I can. The biggest thing that I would like people to know
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about really any disability is that I'm just like you. It might take me a little longer or a different way, but I am just like anyone else