Russian Girl Teaches Us A Powerful Lesson About Following Our Passion

Most of us take our physical abilities for granted. We cannot even fathom a time when we're no longer able to walk or run or do something as simple as raising our arms over our heads. Unfortunately, life isn't always that easy for everybody. It is indeed not easy for Ekaterina “Kate” Borodulkina who started to exhibit symptoms of Muscular Dystrophy only a few months after she was born. The child was diagnosed officially when she was four years old, but the disease had already progressed rapidly.

Muscular Dystrophy prevents one's body from producing the necessary proteins to make the muscles work. Usually affecting the very young, some of the most common symptoms are a gradual weakening of the muscles, frequently becoming unbalanced, losing the ability to walk and difficulty in breathing. While the symptoms can be treated to keep the disease from progressing too quickly, there is no cure for it at present.

If you are not sure what it's like to have this disease, think of the character Trevor in the Fundamentals of Caring played by Welsh actor Craig Haydn Roberts. Just like Trevor, Kate can't walk or even stand up by herself. She can't raise her arms or even sit up without support. She also needs a machine to help her breath. Nevertheless, as young as she is, Kate has decided not to let her disease define her or control what she wants to achieve in her life.

Although Kate couldn't learn things like walking and stand up by herself because the disease was weakening her muscles at a very early age, she did not let that get in the way of her inborn talent – art. Her skill as an artist showed itself when she was only two, sitting in her high chair and doodling away with pencils. Luckily for Kate, her parents were quick to recognize her potential, and they put her in an art school for children when she turned three.

Kate is now ten years old and has already produced many breath-taking works of art. Lying on her side with her brush gripped tightly in her hands, Kate brings to life all kinds of animals, sceneries, plants, and flowers with some deft, well-placed strokes. She has already achieved international fame, and her paintings have been exhibited in many places.

Additionally, Kate is a beautiful example of the impact art has on our lives. It isn't an easy task for her to lift her hand. It's quite painful but she is resilient, and whenever you see her painting, she does it smiling since she knows that in her struggle, she is emerging as the winner. After hours of physiotherapy on a daily basis, she comes back to her canvas and her colors escaping into creating something inspirational. And what’s more, Kate still has time to chill with her friends!

All of us stand to learn something valuable from Kate. She is living proof that sheer willpower and determination transcend even the most excruciating of physical restrictions.