Mat Fraser, who is proud and excited to present the inspiring stories of crips for mainstream TV audiences worldwide, has a condition called phocomelia. According to Merriam-Webster, phocomelia is "a congenital deformity in which the limbs are extremely shortened so that the feet and hands arise close to the torso."
The deformity was actually drug-induced because of the negligence of the government. The culprit was a drug called "Thalidomide" used in the '50s as a sleeping tablet that also cured morning sickness in pregnant women.
However, even after it was apparent that the drug was causing irreparable damage to the unborn fetuses, the government failed to take this drug off the shelves. Thousands of children across Europe and Canada, including Mat, suffered the consequence of that negligence.
However, despite facing many downsides of his physical disability, the actor, musician, and director Mat Fraser is an inspiration to the millions of people worldwide who are battling some form of disability.
