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Man with cerebral palsy defies all odds as a professional NYC dancer
He surpassed his dance goal.
Cedric Jackson
06.19.20

Once in a great while, you hear a story that makes you believe in miracles. But often, there’s a strong-willed person involved who’s working hard to defy the odds. Take an individual with a physical disability. Perhaps the doctors told them they’d never be able to do the things they want. Yet somehow, they prove the medical experts wrong.

Living with cerebral palsy

A lot of people think cerebral palsy is a single disorder but in fact, it’s a group of several disorders, each affecting muscle tone, movement, and posture. Regardless of which one an individual has, simple things we all take for granted are either difficult or impossible.

Wikipedia
Source:
Wikipedia

Dancing is a perfect example

For someone with cerebral palsy, dancing is usually out of the question. With abnormal body control and reflexes, they don’t have the ability to manage their legs like the rest of us do. With this disorder, the brain sustains damage, usually before birth.

Unsplash/Isaiah McClean
Source:
Unsplash/Isaiah McClean

Happy and determined

A man by the name of Jerron Herman has cerebral palsy. Growing up, the doctors told him that due to the level of damage, he’d never be able to live on his own. As you can imagine, news like that would be crushing.

Instagram/jerronherman
Source:
Instagram/jerronherman

A unique situation

Often, this disorder affects both sides of the body. But in Jerron’s case, only the left side of his was involved. As a result, he had good function on the right side yet severe challenges on the left. Even so, he had a goal that he planned to achieve…to dance.

Instagram/jerronherman
Source:
Instagram/jerronherman

Pushing boundaries

Hearing that he’d never be able to feed or dress himself wasn’t acceptable. No matter how hard the doctors tried to convince Jerron that he’d need professional assistance for everything his entire life, he wasn’t buying it.

Instagram/jerronherman
Source:
Instagram/jerronherman

Proving them wrong

Even as a young child, Jerron didn’t accept what the doctors said. He had a genuine passion for dance and that’s what he was going to do. But this amazing man didn’t just want to sway back and forth on the dance floor, he had much bigger things in mind.

Instagram/jerronherman
Source:
Instagram/jerronherman

Soaring to new heights

Despite having all the cards stacked against him, Jerron not only learned to dance but he also became a professional. He now lives independently in New York City and has a fantastic career doing what he always wanted to do.

Instagram/jerronherman
Source:
Instagram/jerronherman

An inspiration to others

Jerron has become a beacon of hope and light — not just for other people who live with the effects of Cerebral Palsy but also other dancers. In his mind, there is no quitting. If an individual wants something bad enough, they’ll find a way to get it.

Instagram/jerronherman
Source:
Instagram/jerronherman

The sky’s the limit

Jerron is an extremely talented dancer who performs from the heart. In his words, “Dance has relieved me of a stereotype that is placed on people with disabilities.” Instead of fighting his body, he uses it to create dance masterpieces.

Instagram/jerronherman
Source:
Instagram/jerronherman

Respected role model

In the crazy world we live in, it’s important for people to have someone they can look up to…an individual who’s had to battle hard for what they want and succeeded. And for Jerron, all his efforts have paid off. In New York City, he’s a highly-regarded dancer with unrivaled talent.

YouTube Screenshot/Great Big Story
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Great Big Story

To learn more about Jerron and his remarkable success in the dance world, we invite you to click on the video below. You can’t help but notice that he has something special to offer the world.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Inspire More, Mayo Clinic, YouTube

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