Sources: Facebook; Austin-Halls.com
In celebration of Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day, I wanted to talk about what it is and how it affects me.
Moebius Syndrome is where the sixth and seventh cranial nerves are underdeveloped making me born with facial paralysis.I also wasn’t able to eat normally when I was born so I had to have a feeding tube til I was 3 (cue the scar on my stomach). With 8 years and 4 surgeries I was able to obtain a smile. This also affects my eyes. I cannot move my eyes laterally nor can I blink.
I am grateful to have a mild case of this syndrome, but despite it being mild, being disabled is really freaking hard.
Discrimination in all fields of life is something that is normal to me. Having to prove my worth because people automatically assume I am mentally challenged or not worthy at all. Having to educate others about how to handle disabilities while also trying to configure where I fit into things. Forcing myself into tables where no one wants differently abled humans at.
So if you’re still reading this, I challenge you to be a little kinder to people who are different from you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn more about the history of minorities. And finally, we need more representation of disabilities on all platforms so we can normalize differences.
At the age of fifteen, Austin started his professional music career recording his first EP. Austin has then released seven other singles and his very first full length album in 2020.
His latest single Getaway is available on Spotify.
Alongside with his immense passion to create art, he strives to showcase that anyone is possible in achieving your dreams.