Being Me: Sarah Morrell
Sarah Morrell has a rare genetic condition called Morquio IV which means she is just one metre tall....
Being Me: Te Huia Apaapa
26-year-old Te Huia Apaapa is a gifted runner and triathlete known as ‘The Rocketman’. Te Huia has a...
Being Me: Joshua Sade-Inia
Joshua Sade-Inia is a burns survivor who’s scars cover half of his body. To Josh they represent his ...
Being Me
The quintessential Attitude episode. Being Me tells the story of remarkable individuals who face the...
Being Me: Juanita Willems
Pre-Christmas Juanita Willems is flat out, collecting, wrapping and distributing presents for foste...
Being Me: Bailee Lobb
Installation artist Bailee Lobb uses her colourful works to explore lived experience of disability, ...
Being Me: Ripu
Ripu was 21, living in Sydney and finishing a Masters in Journalism when meningococcal septicaemia n...
Being Me: Claire
Claire Freeman's achieved a lot since a spinal injury that put her in a wheelchair at 17, a design d...
Being Me: Jono
At birth, Jono Nelson was given just 24 hours to live. Now the Timaru-based hand cyclist, who lives ...
Being Me Alix
Alix Generous has spoken at the United Nations, made a significant contribution to science, given tw...
Being Me: Veronique Theberge
Five years on from an acquired brain injury due to encephalitis, Veronique Theberge is training for ...
Being Me: Kiranjit Singh
Tetraplegic, Kiranjit Singh, is competing to qualify for the 2024 Paralympics in Para-sport shooting...
Being Me: Sam Smith
Sam Smith is a comedian and a new dad. He doesn't take life too seriously but he's just been diagnos...
Being Me: Aidan Terpstra
Aidan’s life changed forever when he was knocked out with a king-hit punch. The injury to his brain ...
Being Me: Susan Williams 8/5/22
Non-binary performance artist Susan Williams adores theatre. Their latest show, Illegally Blind, is ...
Being Me: Hayley
17-year-old double amputee, Haley Birch is breaking records. Having survived meningococcal disease, ...
Being Me: Devon Briggs
Para-athlete Devon Briggs was born with severe clubfeet, twisted backwards. The 18-year-old has end...
Being Us: Liam and Shane
Liam has Down Syndrome, and while technically Shane is teaching him life skills, Liam's the one who'...
Being Me: Dillon Maydon
Dillon's life was altered at just eighteen when he was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare ge...
Being Us: Andrey and Eilish
Best friends Andrey and Eilish are the Yin to each other's Yang and would be lost without one anothe...
Being Me Nick
Nick Chisholm is a body builder whose body is paralysed, a talker who spells words out with his eyes...
Being Me: Eltje
Eltje lived for cycling and competing. While out training, she was struck by a car and suffered a tr...
Being Me: Cyrus
Resourceful 13-year-old Cyrus, who lives with Cerebral Palsy, wanted an accessible swing in the park...
Being Me: Gigi
Gigi, a sassy girl with Down Syndrome from a small town America has a big dream - to walk the catwal...
Being Me: Marfan Syndrome
Over 6 feet tall at just 13 years old, Milly manages the rare condition Marfan Syndrome, while griev...
Being Me: Danielle Aitchison
Danielle Aitchison was born with Cerebral Palsy. As a child she struggled to walk, but her family en...
Being Me Sam
Sam Humphrey is the height of your average 7-year old. Except that he's not 7 - he's 22. However Sam...
Being Me: Heather
As Heather Lawson turns heads while walking the streets of Melbourne with her dressed-up walking can...
Being Me: Cory
Punk-rock frontman Cory Newman is creating big waves with his band. The award-winning 17-year-old, w...
Being Me: John
Sport has been a huge part of John Marrable’s life since an accident put him in a wheelchair. His ma...
Being Me: Cody Steps Up
Tetraplegia hasn’t stopped wheelchair rugby star Cody Everson from stepping up to adulthood. He owns...
Being Me: Ian
Ian Stewart is a flamboyant 24-year-old with an eye for fashion, beauty and soap operas. But when dy...
Being Me: Jared Flitcroft
Jared Flitcroft is a filmmaker, businessman, family man, and he is Deaf. Overcoming barriers to achi...
Being Me Shakti
Shakti Krishnan is leaving his family to pursue tertiary life in the big smoke, and to prove to his ...
Being Me: Brent Eyskens
Unable to communicate verbally, songwriter Brent Eyskens - who lives with Cerebral Palsy - has found...
Being Me: Lusi
Groundbreaking performer Lusi Faiva reconnects with her Samoan heritage as she makes her mark on Wel...
Being Me Freedom
Freedom was diagnosed with eye cancer at three months old, having both eyes removed by age five. Now...
Being Me: Robbie
Robbie Francis is 27, and doing her bit to change the world. She's bringing together disability, sus...
Being Me: Carlos
Carlos Biggeman is an award-winning photographer, he’s about to publish a book of his work. He was b...
Being Me: Geneva
Geneva Tino's cerebral palsy means she needs a TalkLink device to communicate... ironically the 24-y...
Being Me: Petra
When she was six Petra was diagnosed with cancer. She beat it - four times before she was sixteen. N...
Being Me: Josh Davies
26-year-old Josh Davies is a stand-up comedian trying to turn making people laugh into a full time l...
Being Me: Jason
Throughout childhood Jason Edgecombe was different and suffered endless rejection. But a diagnosis o...
Being Me Rex
Rhys Davies was a successful I.T. engineer before a head injury changed life dramatically. He's not ...
Being Me: Steff Green
Author Steff Green writes full-time from her home in the Kaipara Harbour. Legally blind, Steff was o...
Being Us: Nathan and Michael
A friendship born out of a love for sport, Nathan and Michael's fates aligned thanks to their passio...
Being Me: Eamon
32-year-old Eamon Wood has travelled all over the world in his wheelchair. Now he’s back home in Chr...
Being Me: Brylee
At six, Brylee Mills lost her arm, and has been coming to terms with it ever since. She's embarking ...
Being Me: Rachael Leahcar
Australian singer-songwriter, Rachael Leahcar, was born with retinitis pigmentosa and at 25-years-ol...
Being Me: William
Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and anxiety as a child, 25-year-old William Luskie is now an...
Being Me: Erica
Born with a rare condition that affects her outward appearance, Erica Perry proves it’s what’s on th...
Being Me: Rachel Māia
Rachel Māia lives in constant pain, considering amputating her leg to reach new heights.
Being Me: Barney Looks Back
Barney lost his hands and legs from meningitis as a baby. At 25, he looks back on the life lessons ...
Being Me: Samarra
Samarra Wright grew up fearing she’d get MND - it killed her mother and many of her wider family. H...
Being Me: Jack
At 18, Jack Brown made a decision that would put him in a wheelchair for life. Facing his new realit...
Being Me: Sarah
Though born with CHARGE syndrome, 22-year-old Sarah Dalton doesn’t let it define her. She’s an avid ...
Being Me: Joshua
Joshua Sade-Inia is a burns survivor. The scars, which cover almost half his body represent his ins...
Being Me: Ming Ming
Blind since birth, Ming Ming has never let that stop him being involved in everything from cricket t...
Being Me: Kasem
13-year-old refugee Kasem lost his leg and much of his upper arm in a bomb attack in Syria, which al...
Australian singer-songwriter, Rachael Leahcar, was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that at 25-years-old deems her legally blind. Attracting fame through The Voice, she makes a living as a full time musician. With 5% of her vision left, Rachael lives an independent life with her loyal guide dog, Ella, by her side.
Retinitis pigmentosa means Rachael has tunnel vision, short sightedness, night blindness and deteriorating vision. She only noticed her sight was getting worse when she was 15.
“It was more an annoyance than anything else,” she says, “a fear of missing out.”
“Music was a big comfort for me, especially in high school. There’s a lot of people who tell you what you can and can’t do and music was something I knew I could do well.”
Music has always played a massive part in her life and mum, Ingrid, recalls her singing from a young age.
“I knew her vision was going to go. If she kept busy with music and learnt to love music, that would be really good for her.”
In pursuing her passion, it was her success on season one of The Voice, Australia that catapulted her to fame in 2012, placing third in the popular singing competition having been mentored by Australian music superstar, Deltra Goodrem.
“I heard ‘blind auditions’ so I thought, oh this has got to be some sort of sign.”
In the auditions the judges, including Delta, Seal, Keith Urban and Joel Madden picked their contestants based purely on their voices, so when Rachael was asked if she wanted them to know she was legally blind, she turned them down.
“I said no, I just want to be judged on my voice, just like everyone else.”
“I said no, I just want to be judged on my voice, just like everyone else.”
And her hard work paid off. Using only her voice, Rachael managed to turn all four judges around. She chose to work with Delta through the competition and ultimately signed a record contract with Universal Music Australia.
“It was the busiest year of my life, performing with Delta, going to Italy and performing all over Australia.”
But perhaps most importantly for Rachael, it was the effect she was having on others through her performances. “It meant a lot to me that other people loved what I do too.”
Independence has always been a motivator for Rachel and recently, Rachael moved out of her parent’s home into her own place. But her family is close by and helps when she needs. Her mum is her stylist, dad helps at her gigs and Luke, her brother helps with technical aspects.
For dad, Greg, he especially loves helping out.
“I get to hear my daughter sing practically every day and it’s the best job in the world.”
Rachael still has a strong connection with the Italian community, her Nonna leading the support.
“I’ll always remember the people that supported me first and that was the Italian community. So I’ll always support them by doing gigs. Italian was the second language I ever sang in.”
Music will always be part of Rachael’s life and she enjoys every part of it.
“Not only do I love the feeling I get on stage when I perform, but I also love how everyone connects. Music does that.”
My Perfect Family: Ebony Sinclair
Ebony Sinclair is a go-getter born with Achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. Ebony and her husband Ge...
My Perfect Family:Fragile X
To discover you’re the carrier of the genetic condition Fragile X only after your children are born ...
My Perfect Family: Nash Jones
The Jones family’s life changed forever when their youngest boy Nash was diagnosed with a rare condi...
My Perfect Family
Exploring the day today lives of tight-knit families, who are managing complex or unusual conditions...
My Perfect Family: Lydia Golding
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My Perfect Family: Hatty
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My Perfect Family: Twins
For young mum Nikki Stokes being a mother of five means there's never a dull moment. With non-verbal...
My Perfect Family: Georgia Heard
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My Perfect Family: Mahia & Tipene
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My Perfect Family: Kim Preston
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My Perfect Family: Zoe
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My Perfect Family: Hunter
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My Perfect Family: Max and Grace
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My Perfect Family: Courtenay
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My Perfect Family: Tara Aumalesulu
Nine year old Tara is launching her very first album, Pele O Lo’u Fatu. Living with visual impairmen...
My Perfect Family: The Fergusons Part 2
Last week we met the Fergusons, a family of five who communicate using NZSL. Here, we join the Fergu...
My Perfect Family: OCD
For two teenage sisters living with OCD, the world can often be an uncertain and scary place. In the...
My Perfect Family: Grace Payne
Grace Payne is a powerlifter who has competed in the Special Olympics as an autistic athlete. Now, 2...
Brothers and Sisters
The unique perspective of those closest to us, our brothers and sisters.
My Perfect Family: Creative Clan
Ranger Ashurst is eleven and needs regular injections to control his Chrone's disease, his eight yea...
My Perfect Family: Tri Rugby
For members of Christchurch's Tri Rugby team - who live with intellectual disabilities - rugby is mo...
My Perfect Family: Bold As Brass
As New Zealanders living in Australia, Abbi and Morgan Brass received no government support when the...
My Perfect Family: The Fergusons Part 1
The Fergusons are an average family of five; they have fun, they fight, but mostly they get along. ...
My Perfect Family: Jo & Leon
Young doctor Jo Scott’s career was on the rise when a brain haemorrhage changed her life. Seven year...
My Perfect Family: Perrones
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Learning your new baby has a complex rare condition is life altering. Three Mums connect over their ...
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12-year-old Malaena Cariño has a rare genetic form of epilepsy. Her whānau have exhausted most treat...
My Perfect Family: Martine
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My Perfect Family: Cystic Sisters
Kristy and Nikki are sisters and young mums who bring smiles to the faces of strangers by doing surp...
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My Perfect Family: Alex
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My Perfect Family: Southland
Southland Disability Enterprises employs over 80 people who live with a disability. For Mary-Ellen J...
My Perfect Family: Melody
Within just one year Melody entirely lost her vision, gave birth to her first child, and left her ho...
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