Humans of Dublin: ‘People ask me if I would wish for another leg’

Lifestyle

Nov 28, 2016

The following is an extract from Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin.

Drawn from the archives of the incredibly popular online blog, Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin gives a voice to the people of our capital city.

A collection of portraits, memories and snapshots, Humans of Dublin provides a thought-provoking insight into the Irish capital and its vibrant and diverse inhabitants.

Pictured above is a resident who shares his story of persistence and perseverance.

On the day I was born, the doctors told my mum I would never be able to walk. She said, ‘Of course he will.’

I have only one leg. I was born with a birth defect, so I’m using a prosthetic leg since I was one-year-old. I was actually walking since I was about one and a half.

Every few months other kids had new shoes – I had new shoes and a new leg too. I was a part of the football team in school, I cycle, I do everything.

When I was 16, I even tried to work in a pub, but the bar manager told me he won’t hire me to be lumping around in his pub. Well, he didn’t believe in me either.

I never actually knew how it was to have two legs, and I never felt disabled or in any way less than others.

What is the best thing about having only one leg?

Well, people ask me if I would have one wish would I wish for another leg.

And I always say I don’t think I would waste my wish for that. Having only one leg made me think more and made me more creative, and I think that helps a lot. I see the world differently from everybody else.

I want people to look at me and get inspired by me running after my dreams. I want them to have no excuses and say, ‘If he can do it, I can do it, too … ’

Peter's Vagra's Humans of Dublin is available to buy now.

Humans of Dublin: ‘The last thing she said was ‘Night Aoife, love you’

Nov 22, 2016

by Amber Saunders

The following is an extract from Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin.

Drawn from the archives of the incredibly popular online blog, Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin gives a voice to the people of our capital city.

A collection of portraits, memories and snapshots, Humans of Dublin provides a thought-provoking insight into the Irish capital and its vibrant and diverse inhabitants.

Pictured above is Aoife who shares her story of bereavement and reconcilIation.

Two years ago my mam passed away suddenly, just a couple of days after her 45th birthday.

The last thing she said was, ‘Night, Aoife, love you,’ and by the time I got downstairs to say goodnight she was struggling to breathe. I remember just feeling numb and afraid.

I’ve always used my work as a coping mechanism, and I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet, as all my energy has gone into my work.

Being an illustrator has become a full-time job now. I finished college in June just gone and had a lot more free time on my hands to think about everything, which was tough because I always pushed my feelings to the side.

After having time to think, I made the decision to set out for my biological father one last time. I had been looking for 17 years with only his name to go on, so I decided to contact an agency to find him, and they did!

I travelled to the UK with family and I got to meet him for the first time in my life. As soon as I saw him, I knew it was him. We had the exact same eyes and smile, and were both lost for words, so just hugged for ages.

We got on great and spent the day together sharing stories and catching up. Leaving was really tough, though – he had explained to me he has a problem with drink.

Hopefully us getting in touch will give him the strength he needs to get help. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for the both of us.

Peter's Vagra's Humans of Dublin is available to buy now.

Humans of Dublin: ‘Sometimes we get abused by people passing by’

Nov 16, 2016

by Amber Saunders

The following is an extract from Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin.

Drawn from the archives of the incredibly popular online blog, Peter Varga's Humans of Dublin gives a voice to the people of our capital city.

A collection of portraits, memories and snapshots, Humans of Dublin provides a thought-provoking insight into the Irish capital and its vibrant and diverse inhabitants.

Pictured above are a couple who offer their own shared experience of life in our capital.

Do you find it challenging walking hand in hand on the streets of Dublin?

Depends where we are. It can be challenging, but we do it anyway. Sometimes we get abused by people passing by, not only with words but physically too.

For us, as girls, it’s still easier. We can get away with it like we’re friends – for guys it’s not the same. But don’t think this is what we pay attention to.

There are a lot of supportive people around, and negative comments don’t happen as often as you think.

We’ve been through so many things together, and they’ve made a really strong bond between us.

It’s happened that we went separate ways before, and it wasn’t always easy, but in the end we always found each other on the same road again.

We’re together over three years now, which is why we decided to get matching tattoos.

Peter's Vagra's Humans of Dublin is available to buy now.

‘A true love story’ This Humans of Dublin post has everyone in BITS

Jul 5, 2016

by Amber Saunders

Stories featured in Humans of Dublin have hit the headlines on numerous occasions for their ability to bring the internet to tears, and this latest one is no different.

Shared on the Humans of Dublin Facebook page last night, internet users were given an insight into the love story that unfolded between a dancer and her late husband over the course of 57 years.

"I started dancing when I was about 10-years-old. I met beautiful people throughout my whole life because of it. I did Irish dancing and afterwards moved up to the ballroom, we did all sorts of dance," Clare told photographer Peter Varga.

"This is how I met this lovely man too," she continued. "He was so handsome, you know? I was walking in Herbert Park with two girls when I saw him again, he was with his two friends."

"They said they were going to the Ritz that night and asked if we wanted to join them," she recalled. "I will always remember that film, The Desperados. We nearly weren't let in because we were so young. We all had to stand up, as if in high heels, just to get in."

Just 16 when she met him, she revealed: "I never had anyone else, before him or after. That is how we spent 57 years dancing together. He was a lovely and handsome man, you know?"

Peter then captured the moment his subject proudly clutched a photo of herself and her husband, and the internet is in bits this morning after it.

Commenting on the latest post, one Facebook user wrote: "Thank you for sharing your story. I love the photo of the two of you and I'm so glad your "night at the Ritz" lasted for 57 years."

"My parents met on a blind date to go to a dance on Halloween in 1957," wrote another follower of the page. "They got engaged that Christmas and were married the day after Valentine's Day in 1958"

"They were together a week shy of 50 years when my dad passed away. Sometimes those random chance encounters lead people to the person they're supposed to be with. Here's to a lifetime full of love!"

Aw ladies, it's too early for this!

The Humans of Dublin #TakeACloserLook collection is in connection with Vodafone, and snaps of Clare were captured on the Vodafone Smart Platinum 7.

Mattress Mick’s Humans of Dublin story has people in tears today

Feb 2, 2016

by Amber Saunders

The Humans of Dublin Facebook page, our capital's answer to Humans Of New York, has featured some truly touching posts over the last couple of years.

We've had family stories, mental health stories and a few love stories too – like this beautiful post last night from a familiar Irish face.

Mattress Mick is known to many as Dublin's zaniest mattress salesman, but last night he shared a very different side of himself.

"When I was in my late teens I met a girl, and she became very, very special to me," Mick explains.

"She was my first love. We were together for quite a while, but I guess we were just too young. We met too early. She wanted to do other things, so she decided to go different ways.

Mick then goes on to explain how the two grew apart, even though the woman in question "never really left" his thoughts.

"A few years later somebody told me she developed cancer. I actually met her about two years before she died. Her friends organised a reunion but I didn't think it'd be the last time I saw her.

"One Sunday afternoon, out of the blue, a friend of hers called me and said, 'Hi Michael, I have someone here that wants to talk to you.’ She said, 'Hi, it’s me, Kathy. I just would like to say goodbye. I know I'm going to die soon, and I wanted to let you know you were very special in my life too.'

"Every time I think about that phone call I get very sad. It was the nicest phone call I have ever received in my whole life. It meant so much to me. That someone who knew they were terminally ill and hadn't a lot of time could actually think about me, and tell me that…

"I guess it is true, it's never too late to tell somebody how you feel. She died that week, but she'll always be in that very special place in my heart."

So beautiful. After less than a day, the post has over 7,000 likes on the Humans of Dublin page, and we can see why.

This Humans of Dublin story just got us right in the feels

Aug 4, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Wow, Humans of Dublin has got us so emotional today with it's latest post on their Facebook page.

They posted the most inspirational story of a young man in Dublin who came across someone sitting on the ledge of a bridge in Dublin contemplating suicide.

The young man stopped and asked him was he ok and proceeded to talk to him until he agreed to come down from the ledge and ring an ambulance.

But the happy ending is what really gets us, so much came from one person stopping to say "Are you okay?", but we won't spoil it for you! Have a read:

"I was just on my way to the American sweet shop to buy some Gatorade, when I saw this guy in his 30s sitting on the…

Posted by Humans of Dublin on Monday, August 3, 2015

"I was just on my way to the American sweet shop to buy some Gatorade, when I saw this guy in his 30s sitting on the ledge of the bridge. I just thought, "wow…" I stopped and asked him if he was okay, but I knew from the look in his eyes he wasn't, and he didn't say anything either, but I saw tears coming from his eyes."

"I pleaded with him for a while to come down and sit on the steps, and eventually he did. We sat on the sidewalk on the south side of the Liffey and talked for about 45 minutes, about what was happening to him, why was he feeling that way… I couldn't leave him there alone, but I had to go, so I was going to ring an ambulance."

I told him they could help him feel better. But he was like "please, please don't call them, I'm fine, I just want to walk around for a while, I'm gonna be okay!" I told him to please let me ring an ambulance, that I wouldn't sleep knowing he was just walking around alone. So I rang it, and he was taken to St. James Hospital."

"I got his number so I would know what was going on with him for a good while… And about three months ago, he texted me that his wife is pregnant, they're having a boy, and they're naming him after me. Can you believe that? They're going to name their child after me…"

"He said in that moment that I approached him, he was just about to jump, and those few words saved his life. That they're still ringing in his head every day. "Are you okay?" I can't really understand how these few words could save his life, but he told me, "Imagine if nobody ever asked you those words…" "

This story has already been shared over two thousand times, and rightly so, it has completely restored our faith in humanity.

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