Winnipegger's viral TikTok videos show challenges of living with a disability
A Winnipegger is giving an inside look at the realities of day-to-day life when living with both a visible and invisible disability.
Christen Roos was born with Thrombocytopenia Absent Radius syndrome, a condition that results in short arms. She was also born with low platelets, which required 56 blood transfusions to save her life.
She said her disabilities affect nearly every facet of her daily life.
“It’s pretty basic, down to cooking and how I do my makeup,” she told CTV News Winnipeg.
“Everybody asks me how I do my nails, and when I tell them I do them myself, they’re like ‘oh wow.’ I just got to keep going and figuring out ways to make things accessible to my disability, to my short arms.”
This curiosity from able-bodied people is part of the inspiration behind Roos’ popular TikTok account @lifewithshortarms.
She launched the account in April with a video about buying a jean jacket with short arms. Slowly but surely, her videos picked up thousands of views, showing everything from cooking to shopping to doing laundry.
“By making videos on TikTok, I’m just trying to normalize having a disability, and I’m just living my life every day. I do it a bit differently, but we still continue on and figure out ways to make it short arm-friendly and easy for me to be independent,” she said.
Roos also wants to use her platform to advocate to make the city more accessible for all. She said she hopes to meet with the City of Winnipeg to discuss the importance of sidewalk snow removal.
“Snow is a big part to living in Winnipeg,” said Roos, who has lived downtown for 13 years.
“I’m hoping to move forward with the City of Winnipeg and chat more about making sure that the sidewalks are cleared off, that we have access to the skywalks downtown and just understanding where those barriers impact us so greatly when essential services are cut off to access doctors, pharmacy, and even fun things like Jets games at Canada Life Centre.”
In the meantime, Roos said TikTok is a great platform to spread awareness and promote positive conversations about disabilities.
“The more that we have these conversations and talk about how disabilities affect our everyday lives, the better that we can move forward together,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.