Bre Avery Zacharski
She found out about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and talked to her specialist about it, wondering if that was perhaps behind all of her symptoms.
Sadly, this man laughed right in Emma’s face, so she got another opinion. She actually had to get three different opinions, and a doctor finally listened to her.
She was diagnosed during the summer of 2022 with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, exactly what she suspected she had.
“I was already having to use a wheelchair 80% of the time (using crutches the rest of the time) due to my frequent dislocations, lack of help and treatment, and my joint pain,” Emma said.
“If I didn’t use my wheelchair, I wasn’t able to work, go shopping, see friends, etc. I had been doing private physio long before that, but despite this, I completely lost the ability to walk or stand in April 2023 as my knees started dislocating every time I stood or walked.”
Emma went through multiple kinds of different braces to help try to stabilize her, but not even the ones made of carbon fiber were able to prevent her hips and knees from dislocating on her.
Refusing to give up, Emma underwent experimental treatments and then found a company called Able2B, which specializes in assisting disabled children and adults with their strength and fitness.
It was only after Emma began working with Able2B that she saw a great improvement in her physical abilities, and she enjoys that the gym setting makes everything feel “more normal” for her.
“I am now, after over 18 months of not being able to walk or stand AT ALL and over 2 years of not being able to stand or walk unassisted, relearning how to do these things with the correct help and support of medical professionals,” Emma continued.
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for following along on my journey and for all the support and kind words. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments, and I will reply as best as I can.”
Emma is such an inspiration! You can follow her on Instagram here.
