Born Different

Twin sisters Kendra and Maliyah Herrin share an even closer bond than most. They were born fused together at the torso, sharing an abdomen, pelvis, liver, kidney, large intestine and two legs. Now 17-years-old, the Herrin sisters live with one leg each and say they are so thankful to their parents for deciding to go through with the surgery when they were four years old.

Conjoined twins, Neev and Nelly Kolestein, have been attached by the back of their heads for 18 years - but that hasn't stopped their determination to change the way people view disability. Despite only ever seeing each other through a reflection in a mirror, Neev and Nelly have formed an unbreakable bond and admit they would never want to be separated from each other.

A WOMAN born with no limbs hasn't let her condition affect her independence, as she is able to cook, write, photograph and even sew. Amy Brooks from Pittsburgh, USA, was born with Congenital Tetraphocomelia, a birth defect that affects all four limbs.

Zuly Sanguino was born without limbs, but that has never held her back. Now she has pushed herself even further by taking on the role of Maid of Honour for her sister's wedding. The 30-year-old travelled from Mexico to California to take on the traditional roles of bridesmaid, from doing the bride's makeup, to taking her proud sister down the aisle.

Two inspirational women who are missing limbs have become best friends through their comparable hardship. Jlissa stands at 3'4" and was born without arms, knees and with only seven toes. Chassidy lives with Tetra-Amelia syndrome - also 3'4", she was born with a rare congenital disorder that has left her without hands and with very short legs.

Despite being born without any sex organs, 18-year-old Jyoti remains confident about dating. She was born 'intersex' - something she defines as 'not having the typical binary sex organs or parts'. Jyoti started to develop as a boy in utero for around 12 weeks before the process suddenly stopped - since then, she has identified as female and has taken oestrogen since her early teens.

Twins are often born identical, but in the case of a Florida brother and sister, the two couldn't look more different. Nine-year-old She'riq, was born with Albinism, but her twin brother Te'riq was born without the condition. This wasn't the first experience of Albinism for parents Sherria and Terry, who had welcomed a daughter with the same condition 10 years before the twins.

A RARE medical condition has left a young woman in effect 'turning to stone'. At just 23-years-old Carli Henrotay's mobility is already severely restricted: she can't raise her arms above her head and uses a wheelchair to get around; while her jaw only opens a few millimetres

A tiny 3ft 3" school teacher is proving that size does not matter. Describing herself as the size of a four-year-old, Megan, 26, was born with Metatropic Dysplasia; an extremely rare form of dwarfism. She is just one out of 100 people living with the condition worldwide and it was said that she would not see out the first year of her life.

Dedicated father of two is proving that anything is possible - by following a strict workout routine despite missing parts of both his arms and legs. 40-year-old, Ryan was born with Congenital Limb Deficiency; a rare condition that resulted in his legs being shortened and having small arms without hands. Standing at just 3ft 6" tall, Ryan has never let his condition get in his way!