I want to be Isaiah Acosta when I grow up.
The 17 year-old from Phoenix, Arizona was born without a jaw, due to the very rare disease situs inversus, which amongst many other things, rendered him unable to speak. But that didn’t stop this full-on ROCKSTAR from fulfilling his dream of becoming a rapper!
He teamed up with rapper Trap House (also known as Tikey Patterson), and together they recorded a song titled “Oxygen to Fly,” which is about Isaiah’s struggle to find his voice while living with his serious medical condition.
Situs inversus is a condition in which the arrangement of the internal organs is a mirror image of normal anatomy. For example, the left atrium of the heart and the left lung are positioned on the body’s right side. In the abdominal cavity, the liver is positioned mostly on the left side instead of the right. And the stomach is on the right side of the body instead of the left.
He literally cannot speak – but that didn’t stop him from recording a rap single.
Isaiah writes his music, and Trap House raps them – bringing his words to life.
His lyrics speak volumes:
“I don’t care what people think of me/Proud and honored that they carry me/Jaw gone but I love myself/Like a lion to my family.”
“Could’ve died but I’m still here/Could’ve cried but I’m still here/Bullies try but I’m still here/Mother tries so I’m still here.”
Isaiah’s story embodies to key lessons:
- There are no limits to what we can do if we truly want them. The road undoubtedly can be tough and complicated – but what in life isn’t? It all begins with the will to want it.
2. We cannot do it alone; accepting help and guidance from others is essential.
It is so incredible to see someone face the odds and overcome a struggle as significant as his – and thrive as a result.
Go do somethvnary today!
Read Isaiah’s story, featured in People magazine, here!
And you can download the song, which makes a donation to CMN Hospitals, on iTunes, Spotify or at oxygentofly.org.
