Anja Hebel is a fighter. She does what she wants to do and never bounces back. Being an aerialist at Cirque du Soleil would be the perfect job for her. But what she wishes for the most, is giving not directly visible disabilities more attention. Which questions she is asking herself and why Elizabeth Taylor would be the perfect cast for the movie about her life, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Name: Anja Hebel Age: 37 City: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Occupation: Hyperactive pensioner Impairment: MS (RRMS diagnosis June 2012, but MS at least for already 10 years )
Anja Hebel: Yesterday evening! I have surely watched the movie "Bridesmaids" 5 times, but the scene in which the bridesmaids try their dresses on after a bad meal still makes me laugh tears!
What have you always been wanting to do and why have you never done this so far?
Anja Hebel: Nothing, because I generally do everything I want. But I restrained my passion to travel after my MS diagnosis at first. This autumn I will fly to Mexico on my own to make a real adventure holiday, because I always wanted to do that.
Which person has influenced you most?
Anja Hebel: My mother who is a born fighter herself and still fully alive in spite of many blows of fate. She has always shown me that giving up is no option at all. And even if you cannot believe it sometimes: Everything will get better someday.
You have the chance to become the German Federal Commissioner for the Disabled. What would you do first?
Anja Hebel: Because my MS is invisible for my fellow people, I would indicate this problem on my first official act. For example, I have stages in which I can hardly go by tram because it feels incredibly fast. I have to get out after only one stop because I feel very dizzy and sick. I’m living in Amsterdam where a special training takes place every month: It is organised by our MS association for tram personnel to raise awareness for “invisible” disabilities. Looking healthy does not mean you are actually are healthy and need help eventually or that you have to sit in the crowded tram.
Your life is made into a film: Who would represent you?
Anja Hebel: Unfortunately, she already dies, but I would decide for Elizabeth Taylor because she represents the ultimate fighter for me. No obstacle or blow of fate was too much for her, she never gave up.
I would like to be ...
Anja Hebel: Aerialist at Cirque du Soleil! Which questions would you like answered the most?
Anja Hebel: That’s a difficult question… Of course I am asking myself: When will we find a cure for MS? And why do people get MS? I’m also asking myself: When do humans accept their differences? Because they actually make life exciting in the first place.
What I finally want to say... Anja Hebel: Never give up! We are all WONDERful – just the way we are!
What makes other people actually happy in life? If you ever wondered, you have come to the right place. In regular intervals REHACARE.com asks a varity of people always the same questions. What results from that? Read for yourself!