Today Fernando Vigui is a model, actor, educator and leader of the Movimento Nanismo Brasil: ‘I am all I can be’, he says
Up to the age of 17, Fernando Vigui he had no contact with anyone dwarfism – condition he wears with pride. His mother, the only one in the family who was like him, died when he was 4 years old. Until the day I learned of a parade of people like him in the Bexiga neighborhood. “I remember that mirror being a shock. I kept asking my cousin if I walked like that, if my face was that big.”
There, he made friends that helped him understand the importance of speaking out about accessibility, representation, and other issues that he now uses as driving agents to bring information and demystify dwarfism through the Movimento Nanismo Brasil, of which he is a leader. “At meetings we see doctors, lawyers, physical education teachers. Children are born knowing they can be whatever they want.”
If today, at 40, Fernando Vigui is an actor, athlete, model and educator, it is because, a long time ago, he could not conform to how he saw those who were like him. “The only references I had were people with caricature roles on television,” he says. Born with dwarfism, he grew up among people without disabilities and wondered how he could change the prejudice he saw outside the home.
“In my adolescence the big girls didn’t want to go out with me. In my school everyone liked him, they flirted with each other, but I was never reciprocated. Whether you like it or not, it hurts you, it transforms you,” she recalls. It took her a while, but in early adulthood she finally clicked and reached out to those who knew exactly how she felt about her. The meeting transformed Fernando.
“The other shortcomings were either very respected or victimized, but historically we were the king’s jesters, the clowns, always on the side of humor. So we had to figure out our struggles and then go fight,” he explains. . More than discussing public policy and the rights of people with dwarfism, Fernando seeks to help other people and teach about the condition. “Everything that involves the feeling of belonging, humanization and empowerment, we do,” he sums up.
He is head of Dwarfism Movement Brazil, which has among its objectives the extinction of pejorative terms, such as dwarf, small or low to refer to them. “We suggest using the term person with dwarfism because the term dwarf, for example, already carries a stereotype due to humor. First comes the person, then the disability. This is humanized,” he says.
In addition to promoting meetings, conversations and conferences on topics such as public policy debates and even bullying, Fernando and his friends try to reflect on society’s view of them. Fashion, for example, is something important in this discussion.
“I don’t want to wear the clothes that fit me; “I pay the same taxes as you, I work like you, but I don’t have access to the same things. And not just in fashion, but in all industries. Celebrate who we are, celebrate our history, give us a voice.”
The goal of changing the perspective on dwarfism continues in the classrooms of the constructivist school where he teaches elementary school. There Fernando teaches, without prejudice, to children of all kinds. “It’s the most fertile land where we can plant seeds. It’s really worth it.”
Family
At home, Fernando is the one who becomes an apprentice. Having never known his father, he had to learn to be for Lívia, who is now 11 years old. “I looked in the books what fatherhood was like, what childhood was like, the care a child needed and above all the father-daughter relationship,” she says. The woman, Fabíola, also suffers from dwarfism, but Lívia was born without a disability.
“When we found out, our biggest concern was our home, which has now been adapted. But also how she would deal with it, what it would be like for her. But we realized that we just have to be parents, we just have to give love and be there,” she says. Fernando, at 40, is not limited as others once limited him. “I’m all I can be,” he assures. “Looking back, I turn everything I’ve experienced and learned into encouragement to help other people. Today I can say I’m happy and proud of who I am.”
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
