‘‘It sounds a bit strange but when I was diagnosed with a hypermobility syndrome I actually felt relieved. For a big part of my life I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I would always feel so exhausted and my body would hurt. When the doctor diagnosed me I finally knew I wasn’t exaggerating. Because my condition isn’t something you can see from the outside it is really hard for other people to understand my limitations. Because of my limitations its really hard to find a job. Even if I were employed I probably would be physically disapproved. However, I don’t want to have to depend on welfare and I belief I can contribute to society with my art. I never gave up my passion for painting and illustrating so I decided to work as a freelancer. There is a lot of competition in my field and still I am struggling to get enough work but I really love my job. I am also really blessed with the people around me. My boyfriend for example, he doesn’t make a big deal out of my condition and he gives me the feeling that I am much more than my disease. Also my friends are incredible. 9 out of 10 times I am fatigue and I have to cancel going to their events such as birthday parties and weddings because I am experiencing a lot of physical pain. Still they keep inviting me even though I can never really commit. That just means the world to me.‘‘

“Every morning I wake up at 4:45AM just to get to work here in Amsterdam. I’m from the North of the country and I’m actually a carpenter not a construction worker but since to financial crisis it’s hard to get a contract so I take any job I can get. I make long heavy days, I spend a lot of time in traffic but honestly I’m just glad that I have a job.”

2/2 “I was on my way from work to my house. I got off the tram and just when I wanted to cross the street another tram hit me. I don’t remember much of what happened but I know that I crushed the front window of the tram with my head. I immediately was brought to the hospital by ambulance. The first four days the doctors thought I broke my neck. Luckily that wasn’t the case. However I did break my leg, damaged my artery and I had a heavy concussion. I’m not sure how to describe it but my accident has saved me from living a life that wasn’t meant for me. I unsubscribed from University and I am thinking of applying for the Film Academy. It’s really clear to me now, I need to do what makes me happy and I am sure that even though my parents might not always understand my decisions, I know they will still love me.”

½ “I was raised with the idea that you should study something that gives you a high chance of employment. I have always had a passion for filmmaking but to make my parents happy I decided to study International business. I am a hard worker so my grades were really good but I was deeply unhappy. One day I was sitting at the breakfast table and I couldn’t stop crying. That is when I knew something had to change. After a few tests I decided to study Media and Communication. It was a perfect match and I felt so happy. When I graduated I decided to take a one-year break and just work full-time to think carefully about my next step. Again, I felt the need to please everyone around me and I decided to apply for university to become an English teacher. I was supposed to start this September but then something happened that changed everything.”

“Not too many people know that I am a graduated doctor. Even though I loved studying medicine, the hospital wasn’t the right environment for me to work in. When I graduated, a friend of mine who had just finished his studies in business asked me to become his business partner. He had this idea to open a Tea Bar here in Amsterdam which is quite revolutionary since here in The Netherlands there is mainly a coffee culture. It was quite a switch from studying Medicine to becoming an entrepreneur but I was really excited to start this adventure. We worked incredibly hard to visualize what we had in mind. The beautiful thing about tea is that so many countries have their own tea and tea-traditions.
I myself have Moroccan roots and my business partner is Pakistani so we both try to bring a bit of our own culture through tea. At the same time we are constantly exploring the world through tea-traditions. It is really a beautiful way to get to know the world.”

“Sometimes I see pictures on Facebook where people are on a beach and jump in the air. Because of my physical condition I am not able to jump, so when I see those photo’s I am reminded of the fact I don’t have all the physical freedom I would like to have. However, despite of my condition I still feel free. I was born with this condition but it is up to me to decide how I live my life. I play music in a latin band, I volunteer and I am part of the national 4 and 5 May youth committee, a committee who draws attention to the Dutch Memorial and Liberation day. Together with a multi-cultural group of young people we organise a yearly memorial service in Amsterdam at the Van Woustraat. Where there used to be a ice-cream shop named Koco. The owners, Alfred Kohn and Ernst Cahn were both Jewish. In Februari 1941 Alfred Kohn was deported to a concentration camp and one month later Ernst Cahn was executed by the Nazis. The story really touches my heart because it shows what it is like to lose all your Freedom. I never been through war but I do realize how important it is to be reminded of the freedom that we have. That is why I am involved in the committee, so people don’t forget.”