Partially Paralyzed Woman’s Morning Beauty Routine is Inspiring
In March 2014, 20-year-old Manon Slomkowski was in a motorcycle accident in Nanterre, France. The accident left her with brachial plexus palsy, more commonly known as “biker’s disease.” Her left arm was left paralyzed by the nerve damage, making day-to-day life more difficult and painful—but not unmanageable. In a recent video she posted on her Facebook page, Slomkowski films herself getting ready in the morning, from getting dressed to doing her nails to styling her hair into an updo. “I came out of the hospital and didn’t recognize anyone who looked like me,” Slomkowski told BFM TV, France’s most-watched news network. “I felt particularly alone. I would have loved to find a video like the one I decided to make.”
Doing her hair with one hand (Photo: Manon Slomkowski)
While surely the young woman must encounter many tricky situations in her daily life, watching her get ready is truly inspiring and humbling. “In government commercials, you feel like it’s a mise-en-scène—not everything looks real. But I am not playing any role in my video. I’m really showing that we can succeed and if I can help as many people as I can, then my accident was definitely useful,” she continued. Slomkowski gives herself a manicure—a skill that people with two working hands have trouble mastering—using her mouth to hold the brush and styles a whole spectrum of updos with one hand, from an elegant chignon to a half-ponytail. She patiently demonstrates each action to the viewer.
In the Facebook message accompanying her intimate, close-up, self-directed video, Slomkowski wrote: “You need five nerves to control an arm. I got four taken out of my bone marrow, so they are beyond repair. I went through two operations, including a nerve transplant. My chances to be able to make my arm flex or move again are almost non-existent. I lost use of my hand. Every day, I suffer from the same pains as amputated people do. I suffer both physically and mentally, especially since my body is now heavily damaged and tends to get tired more quickly. I will probably not live as long as a well and able person.”
In sharing the video, Slomkowski hopes to reach a wide audience, each person interpreting it in their own way. “The message is different for everyone,” she told BFM TV. “Someone with a disability like me will see it as a message of hope, telling them that they need to try even if it seems impossible. You need to try until you succeed. And those who still continue to bike can see it as a prevention tool.” Yahoo Beauty reached out to Slomkowski for further comment, but have not heard back at press time.
Translations provided by Alaïs Diop Diakhaté.
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