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Illness & Disability
Types of illnesses and disabilities
Sometimes illnesses and disabilities start at (or before) birth. These are called congenital disorders. Other illnesses and disabilities develop after you are born. These are called acquired disorders.
Born with an illness or disability (congenital illness or disability)
"I am an athlete, and because I was born with spina bifida, I compete in a wheelchair. I think that sometimes when people first meet me, they feel sorry for me and think that there must be so much I can't do, but I don't like the word 'can't,' because I can do pretty much anything I want to — sometimes I just have to be more creative about it than other people. I participated in Athens, Greece for the 2004 Paralympics. My hobbies include playing basketball, track, field, swimming, sled hockey, table tennis, and skiing. I also like hanging out with my friends and family when I'm not involved in sports. The most important things to me in this world are my family and friends. Being healthy is very important to me, and to do so, I try to maintain a healthy balanced diet by eating foods like fruit, vegetables, meat, and a few sweets."
– Tatyana
Read about Tatyana’s fight to compete alongside able-bodied athletes.
If you were born with an illness or disability like Tatyana, you don't know what life is like without it. You probably know all there is to know about your particular illness or disability. And you know that even though you have an illness or disability, you can still do lots of things.
Developing an illness or disability after birth (acquired illness or disability)
"I was diagnosed with diabetes right before Halloween, and I'll never forget it. I found out that the type of diabetes I have means that my body has trouble producing insulin, a hormone that helps you metabolize carbohydrates. When I heard what was involved in treating diabetes — injecting myself twice daily with insulin, testing my blood, monitoring my diet — I was more upset than I've ever been in my life. To make matters worse, I couldn't have any candy that Halloween and was stuck at home handing out candy to trick-or-treaters."
– Jessica, 16
Young People and Chronic Illness, by Kelly Huegel
If you’ve just learned you have an illness or disability, you may be scared because you don’t know exactly what it means or what to expect. Or, like Jessica, you may be overwhelmed by the changes you’ll need to make to manage your condition. You may be asking yourself, “How will this change my life?” or “How will I make it through this?” These feelings are normal.
Finding out you have an illness or disability is tough. Here are some things you can do that may help you feel better:
Research your illness or disability:
- What is it?
- What causes it?
- How do you manage it?
- Check out the List of Illnesses and Disabilities for information on specific conditions.
- Talk to teens who have an illness or disability. Ask them how they felt when they first found out and how they live with their conditions.
Whether you were born with an illness or disability or developed one sometime after your were born, you can meet other teens with illnesses and disabilities at Ability On-line.
Content last updated April 6, 2009
