Melissa DiVietri was born with a congenital disease called sacral agenesis — a condition she says shapes every aspect of her daily life.
- Melissa DiVietri has rare disease called sacral agenesis.
- She uses writing, art, and motivational speaking as part of her healing process.
- She hopes to help others have a better understanding of diseases and inspire others.
"It limits me from being able to do things that able-bodied would normally take for granted. You know, going and having a run or going on a boat or enjoying a trip," DiVietri said.
Only 25,000 people in the world have the disease, and DiVietri says the struggles that come with it are not always understood by others.
"It's not until you're in that driver's seat that you always see what that person's going through in those shoes. So I try to make it as easy as possible," DiVietri said.
That desire to be understood led DiVietri to pursue multiple avenues to tell her story — including painting, writing children's books, speaking across the United States and working to change laws related to people with disabilities.
"I'm connecting with people through this platform in storytelling, and it's also healing a bit of themselves," DiVietri said.
DiVietri says her work is driven by a sense of purpose rooted in her own experience.
"I've already gone through it, I've conquered it, and now I'm helping others along the way. And just their messages give me that wind beneath my wings to keep flying as an earth angel for them," DiVietri said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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