Article by Fiona Liu

Nothing Can Slow You Down

By Fiona Liu David Miller is a resilient young man with polio who finds no reason for anyone to give up.

children came to his aid. He meshed When he was just a toddler so well in this large family, who sought to adopt children who were “less living in Russia, Da- adoptable” (M. Miller). They met and vid Miller’s adopted him when he was six years orphanage old. “We had taken him to the apartkept conve- ment we were staying in and…Daniently losing vid…jumped right in and was…helping…our host to set the table and do the paperwork to other things…He was on crutches and, move him out of the but he…still wanted to help”(M. Millinfant unit. He was a child filled with er). This is despite a disability, which such joy and such vibrance that the he does not let define him. orphanage did not want to let go of The disability that David Miller him. Miller was diagnosed with a paralyzing disability between the ages of has lived with for nearly his entire life is poliomyelitis. The 1 and 2, and in Rus- “He was on crutches and, sia, disabled children CDC defines poliomybut he…still wanted to help” elitis (also known as often did not receive polio) as a “disabling and life-threatadequate care. However, he received ening disease caused by the poliovieducation and care from the people rus”(“What is Polio”). Only about 0.5% who ran the orphanage.

After a first adoption fell through, one of those affected by polio experience paralysis(“What is Polio”). Miller is American family with seven other

one of those cases, wearing a leg brace people try to dance around the topic. on his paralyzed right leg.

Some people try to advocate for visiPolio has no cure, generally afbility and education about topics relatfecting people under the age of 5. The ing to disability, especially those with contagious disease affects the nervous physical deformities. system, which controls several differ- The “body positivity movement” is ent parts of the body. The only treatone movement that tries to represent ment for polio is prevention, with the different bodies and different levels of polio vaccine. Polio has not touched ability. It seems to mostly represent the United States since the polio epiable-bodied individuals, however. demic of the 1950s, when many chilMany people think that “disabilities dren were paralyzed in their lungs and are depressing” (Cohen-Rottenberg). diaphragm (M. Miller). The United Miller expresses a similar sentiment States and Russia, Miller’s home coun- when he is asked whether he enjoys try, developed an oral vaccine for polio having a community of other disabled as a joint effort (Demesko). individuals. He says, “I do not like One adjective that people would having a community of other people use to describe David Miller is with disabilities…I resilient. He is don’t like seeing people never afraid to try suffer. [I] just feel odd new things, and staring at them” (D. finds no reason Miller). Some people to give up. These just don’t want to feel days, as acceptance different. It sucks beof different bodies ing othered or being and abilities grows, an outcast of sorts. s ic t s TAP Pla representation inMiller hopes to one day own his creases. However, the discrimination own woodworking business. In fact, he has not been eradicated. Much of the has been working at creating one for time, disabled individuals are poryears. His current job at TAP Plastics trayed as weak, or unable to do the prepares him for this job. Miller has same things that able-bodied individu- worked there for around ten years, and als can do. They are often portrayed as he has a good relationship with his co“objects of pity [or] opportunities for workers and customers. Miller’s boss, charity” (Cohen-Rottenberg). That, or Blanca Quiterio, describes him as “en-

thusiastic about work.” People at work by his family. He was always especially do not even notice his leg, and it does close with his father and wanted to do not hinder his ability to fabricate plas- what he was doing. He would follow tics. At work he’s very focused, walkhim around and help him out with ing all around the workshop with his tasks. This is how he learned things limp, measuring and cutting up plassuch as woodworking. Occasionally, tic. He began workhe will go over to his paring at TAP Plastics as ents’ garage to complete soon as he got out of his own woodworking high school, being a projects. Sometimes he dedicated and hardwill work on constructing working individual. a guitar, or a chair, but He is “very smart, even just creating a shelf very loyal, and very is exciting.

Miller working at TAP reliable” (Quiterio).

The sharp, piercing Growing up in the Bay Area, sound of a saw rings through his faMiller never faced too much bullying, ther’s garage as Miller feeds wood though he did have the occasional through it. Taking the pieces, he metease here or there. He never let it get ticulously measures them and puts to him, taking it in stride and standing together a shelf. He knows this place up for himself. Sometimes he did feel like the back of his hand and flows like the circus freak however, catching through it with ease, knowing exactly the glances of curiwhere his tools are “he would just move on, go… ous children or other placed. The pieces fit right past it, and continue to gawkers. He doesn’t together like a puzengage with life in a positive like the attention, zle, and one can tell having felt more in- way” that a lot of planning secure about his leg and effort went into brace in the past. Despite all his chal- it. Miller limps around the garage and lenges, he was still a fairly happy child. grabs the tools required for the next With the bullying he did face, “he steps of his project. He’s used to this would just move on, go…right past it, limping, having lived like this his enand continue to engage with life in a tire life. positive way” (M. Miller).

When questioned about if polio Miller has always felt supported still affects Miller to this day, he dis-

cusses the pain that his leg brace caus- ‘no, you can’t’. I was always encouraged es. He doesn’t care too much about to do whatever I wanted to do” (D. the paralyzed leg, being able to drive Miller). and do most other activities. After Miller doesn’t want people to view him several hours of endless use of the any differently. Much of the time, he leg brace, eventually the pain gets to forgets that he even has polio. It’s not him. At TAP Plastics, he walks 30-50 a defining trait. He receives some disthousand steps per day, and “after a ability benefits, such as the long day of physical activity, handicap placard, but [his] leg hurts. It he does not abuse it. hurts, it aches” He says that others (D. Miller). He are “way worse off acknowledges than [him], and if his shortcomings [he] needs to walk and knows his farther, so be it” (D. limitations. While Miller). Talking polio doesn’t affect about his disabiliworking d o o W r Mille Miller too much in ty, Miller says, “I think I have his daily life, one worry that he does lived my life with this idea that this is have is post-polio syndrome, which not a handicap to the point where I the CDC defines as “a condition that would call myself a normal, functioncan affect polio “Life is too short to care what ing person” (D. Miller). survivors decades Generally, Miller does so-and-so is thinking about after they recover not want others to pity you...Nothing can slow you from their initial him. He wants people down“ poliovirus infecto treat him the same tion”(“Post-Polio as any of their other Syndrome”). It can cause muscles to friends (D. Miller). His message for weaken or affect other parts of the other people with disabilities is, “Don’t body even after polio has laid dormant give up!…There’s no reason for it. Do (M. Miller). Miller’s father fears for not worry about other people. Life him because since he is a highly active is too short to care what so-and-so person, he is at higher risk to develop is thinking about you…Nothing can post-polio syndrome. David asserts slow you down” (D. Miller). that “Nobody ever wants to be told,

About the Author

Fiona Liu is a junior at Mountain View High School. She loves cats, to the point that she makes them her entire personality. She claims to be a “Woman in STEM”, but doesn’t really enjoy doing anything in STEM. Her hobbies include filmmaking and sleeping(which she does not do a lot of these days. unfortunately). Currently enrolled in four AP classes, she in under a lot of stress.