Danielle Tadych has broken every bone in her body at least once, excluding her fingers and toes.
When she was born, she wailed like most babies, but hers was in pain from a broken arm she sustained in the womb.
When she was 6, playing on a trampoline quickly became agonizing. Weighing 20 pounds, Danielle bounced a foot in the air, causing her left arm to snap.
Danielle, junior in environmental science, was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta type III (OI) or brittle bone disease -- a genetic birth defect that prevents bones from producing enough collagen, which makes them weak and easily breakable.
OI is an extremely rare disorder which affects one in 20,000 people.
"My situation could be better, but it could be a lot worse," Danielle said. "When I was younger, I used to think about what I wanted to do and would think, 'I can't,' but then I'd find a way to say, 'I can.' That's what I plan to keep on doing. If there's a will for me to do something, there's a way."
Danielle and her brother, Chris, senior in animal science, commute to Auburn from their home in Opelika every day. Both homeschooled and only one year apart, Chris and Danielle grew up spending most of their time together and share an extremely close bond.
"Danielle has an electric wheelchair now, but for most of our lives, she had one that you push," Chris said. "I spent most of my childhood pushing her in that chair to the point where it felt strange for me to walk without it. That kind of lifestyle seems different to everyone else, but it's the norm for us."
Danielle's physical disability has caused her bones to grow curved and her stature to remain small, which makes her the butt of jokes among her family and friends.
"We harass each other pretty well," Danielle said of her older brothers. "Short jokes always ensue when they're around. If you can't joke about it, what can you do?"
Danielle said she wishes people wouldn't worry so much about being politically correct around her.
"Nowadays you hear people say, 'You can't say handicapped,' because that's politically incorrect," Danielle said. "But it is handicapped. Call it what it is. It's not about what you say, it's how you say it and your intent behind it."
Weighing only 45 pounds at 20 years old, Danielle said she's sure people stare as she rides by, but she said she doesn't notice.
"I'm very comfortable with my disability," Danielle said. "A lot of people aren't, but I'm fine talking about it and answering questions anytime. It's not the elephant in the room that people need to tiptoe around."
Chris said every person defines his or her normal, and Danielle's disability is part of his.
"It's just reality," Chris said. "A lot of our outlook comes from the way our parents raised us and our faith. We know that God made me the way I am and Danielle the way she is for a reason. It's the way it is, and we've embraced it and made the best of it."
Chris and Danielle both plan to get their doctorates and go far with their careers. Because of that, Chris said he's realized he can't drive his sister around forever.
Though she's never stood on her feet, Danielle is learning to drive at Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation.
To meet her transportation needs, Danielle needs to learn to drive, but she also needs a wheelchair-accessible van that will cost approximately $40,000.
"The first time I drove, I was terrified, but it's really exciting," Danielle said. "I can't imagine what it will be like to be behind the wheel of a car that's made specifically for me. I feel blessed beyond measure in every sense of the phrase."
Over the past several months, Danielle has been a part of several fundraisers and a contest to purchase the special equipment she needs, but still needs to raise most of the funds.
Hope, Danielle's mother, said they didn't solicit any of the help or attention they've received to help her daughter.
"We just found ourselves in the middle of it," Hope said. "Because of that, we didn't have to wonder if it was what God wanted us to do -- it was clear. We're supposed to embrace the help and go forward with our fundraising efforts."
Chris said he's enjoyed being his sister's chauffeur over the years, but that it will be great for her to be able to go somewhere by herself in a handicap-accessible van.
"We're working really hard to get one of these vehicles for her," Chris said. "It will change her life."
Danielle and her family have created a Facebook page and fundraiser on GiveForward for the cause
Hope said while she is excited for the opportunity for Danielle to drive, the thought terrifies her like it would any mom.
"I admit I have mixed emotions and often take pause," Hope said "But we're in this for the long haul and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure she can do anything she puts her mind to."
Hope said she's been more than pleased with how kind and accommodating Auburn has been to Danielle, but she wants people to know they aren't waiting for handouts.
"We don't expect people to know about Danielle's disability," Hope said. "That's why we want to educate them that we're okay with it, so they can be, too."
Hope said she hopes people can talk to Danielle and see the person she is when they look at her -- not just the fact she's in a wheelchair.
"If you just talk to Danielle, you'll realize there's a big person inside that little bitty body," Hope said. "Danielle is just like you and the only thing different about her is that her bones grow differently."
Danielle said she has something to overcome everyday, but she's blessed because she has the support she needs to do it.
"Everyone has their own struggles to deal with," Danielle said. "This is mine. It's been mine for my entire life, and from driving to my career, I'm not going to let it stop me from going for the things I want to do."
To donate to Danielle's cause, visit giveforward.com/changedanielleslife and like her Facebook page, Change Danielle's Life.
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