body image | Patient Commando

Because who is perfect?

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Pro Infirmis

Published on Dec 2, 2013

Disabled mannequins will be eliciting astonished looks from passers-by on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse today. Between the perfect mannequins, there will be figures with scoliosis or brittle bone disease modelling the latest fashions. One will have shortened limbs; the other a malformed spine. The campaign has been devised for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by Pro Infirmis, an organisation for the disabled. Entitled “Because who is perfect? Get closer.”, it is designed to provoke reflection on the acceptance of people with disabilities. Director Alain Gsponer has captured the campaign as a short film. The figures are life-sized, three-dimensional representations of Miss Handicap 2010, Jasmin Rechsteiner, radio presenter and film critic Alex Oberholzer, track and field athlete Urs Kolly, blogger Nadja Schmid and actor Erwin Aljukic.

“We often go chasing after ideals instead of accepting life in all its diversity. Pro Infirmis strives especially for the acceptance of disability and the inclusion of people with disabilities,” says Mark Zumbühl, a member of the Pro Infirmis Executive Board, in describing the campaign.

See our former TV-Spots under:

Bear: http://youtu.be/zFWr-CKMWGY Gianni Blumer: http://youtu.be/Qr-xnqgpin8

Music: Lost At Sea by Dave Thomas Junior

Tagged Under: amputation, amputee, body image, brittle bone disease, disability, fashion, scoliosis

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Girls-With-Guts: Bella’s Story

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Girls-With-Guts

How I lost and found myself after being diagnosed with UC

Hi everyone! Let me introduce myself, my name is Bella, and I am 24 years old. I was diagnosed with UC in 2007 right on my 19th birthday. I went from being a healthy, happy, bubbly, energetic, athlete college student, to being suddenly very ill basically over night.

At first the medications helped, and I thought ok great, I just have to take some medication and I will be fine. But 6 months later after a trip to Russia I was sick again and the medications weren’t helping. I went through a lot of trials and tribulations. I would try something, it would help briefly, and then it wouldn’t. It felt crazy to me, and I could not, and would not believe this was my life! It felt as if I was on a continuous physical and emotional rollercoaster. I was very thin, weak, ill, and scared. I was depressed, and just wasn’t myself. I hid from the world, I didn’t want anyone to see me, I didn’t even want to see myself! So I pushed everyone I could away. I felt like my life, dreams, goals, and aspirations were slipping [...] continue the story

Tagged Under: alternative medicine, body image, confidence, Girls-With-Guts, ulcerative colitis

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The Truth of It: Dr. Marla

Posted on December 1, 2011 by The Truth of It

Marla is a physician, writer and on-air health journalist. Marla was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 48.

Tagged Under: body image, breast cancer, doctor, patient, patient story, talking to kids

The Truth of It: Kelly

Posted on December 1, 2011 by The Truth of It

Kelly has worked as a personal support worker, helping in elderly care but now is a certified fitter (of prosthetics and bras) for women who have had mastectomies and lumpectomies. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 11, and with breast cancer at the age of 28.

Tagged Under: advocate, body image, children cancer, hodgkins, lymphoma, multiple cancer, patient, patient story

The Truth of It: Gill

Posted on December 1, 2011 by The Truth of It

Gill is a writer and television personality. She is married with three young boys. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 42.

Tagged Under: body image, breast cancer, patient, patient story, personality, tv