Chassidy: When you don't see people like you,
it feels like you're the only person in the world, that's like that.
Jlissa: So I really thought I was the only one out here with that condition until I found Chassidy.
Chassidy: I was like, "Wow there's somebody that shares the same
experience as me," and I was like "I have to find her."
Chassidy: We are about two minutes away,
Jlissa: Hey? Chassidy: Hi?
Chassidy: Two live crew, come down here with me to Houston.
Two Live Crew consists of my sisters,
one of my best friends.
Please don't think I'm a diva.
Chassidy: I'm shiny.
Lord, put me on a grill.
Fry me.
We have come from Arlington Texas,
To meet Mrs. Jlissa, both of us were featured on Born Different.
We had these amazing features,
and I haven't met her formally, but I follow her on social media.
I thought that I was the only person in the world that was born like me, so
I'm excited to meet her.
That was a dramatic moment.
Full red.
Full red on my face, please.
When you don't see people like you,
it feels like you're the only person in the world
that's like that.
I have not talked to Jlissa.
It's kind of like the night before meeting ...
You know, like when you get married,
you just kind of not talk to each other.
We're going to see Jlissa going to see Jlissa, I'm super excited.
We've been talking ...
Female Speaker: Like one of those, those kindergarten kids,
that have got to sing everything they think.
Chassidy: We are about two minutes away.
Jlissa: Hey?
Chassidy: Hi?
Jlissa: Welcome to Houston.
Jlissa: Oh my God.
Jlissa: I finally get to meet you.
Jlissa: Oh my God girl, come on in, come on in.
Jlissa: Come on in,
Jlissa: Come on in.
Chassidy: How long have y'all been together?
Jlissa: 13,14 16,18 20,
Chassidy: What?
Jlissa: 14 years.
Female Speaker: 14?
Jlissa: 14.
Female Speaker: I've been together with her for ...
Chassidy: Girl, Get off, get off me.
Female Speaker: 28? 28 years, I think that's how long we've been doing this thing called life right babe?
Chassidy: We're here.
Jlissa: We're here.
Jlissa: Chassidy,
Jlissa: And queen Jay.
Chassidy: I really loved y'all story.
Chassidy: I was like, "Oh my god,"
Chassidy: Like I had to go find you.
Chassidy: I'm Chassidy, I'm from Arlington, Texas.
I am thirty ... two years old.
Jlissa: Hi, my name is Jlissa Austin. I'm from Houston, Texas.
I am 31 years old.
Chassidy: My family,
I have very good photos, this is so old.
Chassidy: I am three foot 4.5,
born without hands.
Jlissa: Growing up I used to tell people that my condition was having no upper extremities.
I really thought I was the only one out here with that condition until I found Chassidy.
Chassidy: You have more toes than me, I'm jealous.
Chassidy: I was like, "I can't be the only person" on this whole earth, missing arms.
Where they at?
I have my family,
you have your friends but,
It's moments where you need somebody like you, because we have our own struggle
that they really cannot identify with.
It's crazy how similar our stories are.
Chassidy: Overall I was able to write,
I was able to feed myself,
I was able to take myself to the restroom.
I was able to bathe myself.
There were things I was doing, that people who were very normal and considered, quote and quote
this is my quote "normal"
that I was doing,
I didn't I didn't feel that.
Jlissa: Most of the questions I get is
basically,
how do you eat?
How do you write?
who takes you to the restroom?
How do you bathe, who do your hair?
who puts on your makeup?
Chassidy: I prefer for a kid to come up to me
and say, "Hey, lady, what's up?"
Where your hands at?
Why are you so little like me?
And we can have a conversation.
Jlissa: My condition hasn't affected nothing in my life.
as short as I am.
I'm very...
you're going to know, I'm coming through the door because my voice is loud.
So it hasn't affected my life.
Nobody ever made me feel different than you know,
and if they did,
"Boo what are you looking at?" and then go about my day.
I'll walk out the door. and I'll ...
feel like I'm Beyonce.
Chassidy: Hello.
Chassidy: Don't dis my ability is really important to me.
I don't call it disability because
a disability by term, is something that restricts
you from doing something else.
It restricts you from getting from A to B.
And,
And I've made it A, B, C, D, E, F, G, L, M, N, O, P
Jlissa: It's a lot of people that's not able to be themselves
because they're scared of the world.
they're scared of what the world's going to think of them.
Chassidy: I saw Jlissa's story. I was so emotional about it.
I'm low key getting emotional now.
Because
I thought that
I was like, "wow, there's somebody that"
"like shares the same ..."
experience as me.
I didn't get that.
Growing up.
I just saw somebody who was super confident
and super positive like myself
and I was like, "I have to find her."
The power to impact, change people's lives.
A lot of people don't get that.
You got your hands you got your legs
but can't work? what are you doing with it?
Are you changing lives? We are able to do that.
Jlissa: I just want to say,
don't be scared.
of,
don't be scared of
being who you are.
Don't be scared of the world.
Jlissa: The future holds for me and Chassidy
friendship. We're friends forever.
Chassidy: Facts.