Just think of the little things that we have to face every day. Loading the groceries into the car, running after that bus, even making the bed. Not too hard, really, but imagine doing them without a painful and difficult disability. Puts it into perspective, doesn't it? Now imagine not only having a disability and dealing with day-to-day life, but also having the strength and courage to give birth to an adorable baby boy. Because that's exactly what Sheree Psaila did...
If you came across Sheree Psaila on the street, the first thing you'd notice is just how short she is. Only 123 centimeters in total, or just about four foot. Almost like a child herself. You'd never think that a woman of this size would ever be capable of carrying a baby to term.
That's not the only disadvantage she's got. The biggest problem for Sheree is that she's got a rare congenital condition called arthrogryposis multiplex, which basically means she has almost no muscles. Nada, not anywhere on her body, not when she was born and not when she grew up.
She was incredibly unlucky to get this condition. It only affects about one in 3,000 babies, and almost never to the extent that she has it. It means that every single day is a struggle, and even the most basic tasks are beyond her reach.
Doctors knew that as soon as she was born back in 1993, and in fact didn't give her much of a chance at all. They told her parents that it was unlikely Sheree would live past her first year. Even if she did, she would spend most of her life in a wheelchair, and would have to attend a special school.
But Sheree Psaila proved them all wrong. Even as a child she had the bravery and stamina of a hero, and by the age of five she had taken her first steps and learned to walk, even without the use of pretty-much-essential leg muscles.
Not only that, but she insisted on attending a normal school in her home town of Wodonga, in Australia. Which made sense: she might be physically weaker (and therefore could ditch gym class, the lucky duck), but mentally she was just as smart, if not smarter than the rest of the class.
Of course, living in a small town in country Australia is difficult at the best of times. The farming culture makes living with a physical difficulty troublesome, and the size (and gossip) of the small town makes a love life almost impossible.
And wouldn't you know it, but Sheree managed to even win in love, too. In 2014, she met and fell in love with Chris, a man who could look past the differences and love Sheree for who she really was: a funny, beautiful, and courageous woman.
What helped their relationship along, like all relationships, was that they had shared experiences. A defect in Chris's lower spine had also shaped the way he had lived, from childhood to adulthood, and while he could do a lot more than Sheree, he knew exactly how she felt.
Their romance blossomed, and after getting married in 2015, Sheree had one thought on her mind: having children. But the doctors in 2015 were no more positive than the doctors in 1993. They said the same thing: it just wasn't possible.
But if there's one thing we've learnt from all this, it's that you can never say no to Sheree. She ignored the doctors' advice, and was soon pregnant to Chris. Unfortunately, her first pregnancy ended in a devastating miscarriage.
Then a miracle happened. Sheree was determined to try again, and that's exactly what she did. This time, everything worked out perfectly. Her baby bump may have been almost as big as she was, but she was now nine months pregnant with her first child.
Those nine months had been incredibly difficult for both Sheree and Chris. They moved to Melbourne to be closer to professional medical help, but even then Sheree was in constant pain and found the burden overwhelming on her frail body.
In the end, it was worth all the struggle and agony. Late last year, Sheree and Chris were given one of the greatest gifts: a healthy baby boy. Named Hayden, he's almost as big as his mom and doesn't show any signs of inheriting either of his parent's debilitating conditions.
Almost a year on, the beautiful love between the parents and their son continues to grow stronger every day. Even so, caring for a baby when you can't even hold him unassisted is tough for Sheree. 'Sometimes he'll cry and I can't reach him to pick him up. I have to wait for someone to pick him up for me,' she says.
