Jamie’s story

Elsie using her tablet
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Understanding:
Since I was little, it was my dream to work towards making a blockbuster feature-length motion picture film. To do this, it would require understanding how to go about doing such a project, so I started studying. The issues I faced with my studying were caused by my condition. It got in the way, and made it very hard to focus; however, I knuckled down and got to work.

I soon realised that making a film would take a lot of travelling and working around the clock, which, due to having such a condition, I would find very difficult to do. So I sat down, and thought to myself: “how can I combat this, to work towards realising my ambition?” So I continued my studies, and made sure I finished them.

Adaptation:
Realising that trying to achieve this dream – whilst having this condition – I had to first workout how I was going to start. So I sat about, and brainstormed ideas of things I had knowledge about, and what interested me. I worked out ideas and storylines, whilst at the same time, still thinking about how I could go about getting this made with my condition. I soon realised that having the condition may restrict me from doing certain things, but I could work around finding locations to film that were local.

Having this epiphany, I finally started realising that the condition didn’t hold me back as I thought initially: it kick-started how I live my life now.

Starting this journey, and getting my diagnosis was a rocky road, but I think having a dream – and something to aspire to that I am passionate about – really made me start to think about how to overcome my disability: to live my life how I wanted to live it and do what I wanted to do.

My life with a neuromuscular condition in pictures

Jamie at a film set being filmed
Jamie editing a film
Jamie with Curtis from the Young Person's Group
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