Nearly 1 in 4 adults across the world are lonely. The loneliness epidemic in America, with 58% feeling like no one knows them well, is highest amongst the young than those over 65. 

With technological advancement and more access to instant social “connection” we’re (allegedly) more connected than ever, so why are we so lonely.

In this book I give you my heart — all the struggles, feelings of loneliness, isolation, uncertainty and unworthiness. I know I keep saying so, but I truly can't wait for you to see what I saw so many years ago when I fell. So much of me is evident in this story and how I chose to present such a moment. I wanted to be careful and nuanced in how I portrayed this part of disability. I sincerely hope you’ll love it.

My Wheel Girl is at Los Angeles’ Hammer Museum.

“Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice” is an exhibition that’s part of Getty's initiative PST ART: “Art & Science Collide". Featuring works by hundreds of contemporary artists, scientists, and activists with topics ranging from climate change and environmental justice to the future of AI and alternative medicine, you can find PST art in museums & institutions across the region.

While looking at the Detroit skyline from my tiny studio apartment, I made the impetuous decision to visit Korea. This would be my first time back in 20 years, since my adoption at age 4 by a white family in Michigan. It was the summer of 2003, and I booked my ticket two weeks before departure. This was also the period when the mysterious weakening of my legs had begun (the first signs of my genetic neuromuscular disorder that made me a full-time wheelchair user), and this hastened my sense of urgency, despite feeling nervous about traveling alone.

Lost in Thought. Lost in Me. Lost in You. Lost in Japan.

As you know, I’ve been wheelchair traveling around Japan. It’s been 3 weeks today, and we have 12 more days here before we head to Taiwan and Korea. So far we’ve completed Tokyo, Matsumoto, Takayama and Japan Alps and Nagoya. We’re working on crossing off our last 2 cities before we leave Japan.

May 27, 2024 @ 3:45AM / Takayama, Japan 

I’m awake and in insurmountable pain. Fatigue has cloaked me from sky to floor. My chronic stomach is no friend of mine. I could never explain the pain I’ve been in behind the smiles. The smile is genuine as I’m able to ignore pain when I’m truly inspired to live while traveling or creating, but eventually my body catches up and reminds me who is boss. My will is constantly pushing against my body, and I’m just an innocent bystander watching it happen.

Collectively, we hold a diverse array of stories, hell-bent resilience, softness, power, stories to tell from our bellies, talents, style, humor and dreams—and though we all hold disability in common, our individual stories tree-branch into a variety of perspectives; further contextualizing the simple narrative the disabled community has unfairly been dealt.

Oliver, a passionate humanist, deeply cared for his patients and people. Read his books. His work helped humanize the stories behind patient cases; an example of what a good doctor should be. He put humanity into medical care; humanizing his patients by not focusing on what they were “missing” and instead, armed with exceptional curiosity, looked for the richness in differing experiences; a perspective he could never have but took the time to ask. 

When you find out you’re going to be disabled, one of the first things you may think of is sex and dating. “How is this going to work?” is not a question relegated only to curious prying eyes from strangers yet also an internalized one that can burn deep within.