When Nick Vujicic came into the world, his parents, Boris and Dushka Vujicic, reacted with immense grief, tears and confusion when they first saw that their son had been born without arms or legs.
When Nick was old enough to learn to read, the state of Victoria, Australia, shut the door of public school to him. The reason: his tetra-amelia syndrome.
His family, Serbian immigrants, had moved from Brisbane to Melbourne in search of a better life. His father was a pastor, and their home was loving, but the system was not prepared for him. Only after the laws changed did Nick become one of the first students with a disability to attend a mainstream school, setting a precedent for inclusive education.
Getting into the classroom did not end the problem. He was bullied and fell into depression and despair. It was then, after meeting other people with disabilities who had overcome adversity, that he decided to transform his pain into purpose.
At 21, he earned a degree in Accounting and Financial Planning, but his calling lay elsewhere. He began giving talks on inclusion and self-esteem at local schools, and today he has spoken in more than 60 countries. In 2005, he founded Life Without Limbs, based in California, which works to combat bullying and promote inclusive education.
His journey leaves us with an uncomfortable question: if the hardest barriers are social rather than physical, how many more children are still waiting for someone to open the door for them?
