A woman who claims she is a ‘real life living doll’ with an incurable condition has said cosplay saved her life.
Amber Guzman, 32, from Long Beach, California, has muscular dystrophy, a disease which causes muscles to deteriorate over time.
She identifies as a ‘living doll’ because her condition has left her so weak, she cannot walk long distances and often needs to be carried around.
Her passion: Amber Guzman, 32, from Long Beach, California, has muscular dystrophy. She says cosplay has helped ‘save her life’ following her diagnosis
Making it work: The incurable disease has left Amber in a wheelchair. But she makes it work by designing costumes around the chair
Inspired: I appreciate cosplay because it occupies my mind from thinking about the negative,’ she said
‘After I hit puberty, my muscles were just depleting and going down,’ she said. ‘It’s an illness that kills off your muscles and makes it hard for you to rebuild your muscles.’
In 2012, Amber was first diagnosed with the disease. But she noticed problems walking starting at the age of 15.
Struggle: In 2012, Amber was first diagnosed with the disease. But she noticed problems walking starting at the age of 15
Amber admits after her diagnosis the condition barely inhibited her. After the muscular dystrophy developed, she suddenly found daily activities were becoming more difficult.
‘When I was first diagnosed, I was barely struggling,’ she said. ‘I was still walking but I was struggling to get upstairs on my own. I struggled to pick up my tools for cosplay or even just doing my makeup.
‘I had to keep my hands up for so long that became tiring.’
Amber took solace in her cosplay, using it to distract herself from her rapidly developing condition.
This passion of hers quickly became a creative outlet for the woman, and she says it saved her life.
‘Year after year I would lose like another ability and slowly lose something else. I needed help to get off of the toilet, into the shower, into the bed,’ she said.
Love: Amber’s husband, Martin, supports her on her love for cosplay and her condition
Advocate: The woman uses her position in the cosplay community to push for disability awareness in cosplay. She hopes other costumes will incorporate wheelchairs
Fan: ‘I love incorporating my wheelchair into my cosplay,’ Amber said
She continued: ‘That’s why cosplay means so much to me because it saved me from having to think about that a lot. That’s why I appreciate cosplay because it occupies my mind from thinking about the negative.’
Family: Amber lives with her teenage sweetheart and husband Martin. They met when Amber was 17 and had just moved to Long Beach
The cosplayer has attracted thousands of followers on social media with her outlandish costume designs which incorporate her wheelchair.
She uses her platform to champion cosplay for the disabled community.
When the cosplayer attends conventions she says she’s inundated with requests for pictures by fans of her work.
‘People always come up to me at conventions and say, “I can’t believe you did this huge costume with your wheelchair.” I love incorporating my wheelchair into my cosplay,’ she continued.
‘You just don’t see it so it’s rare. It’s rare to see a well-known cosplayer with disabilities.
‘You tend not to think of yourself as being that special. I never thought I would have that effect on anybody to be called inspiring.’
Amber lives with her teenage sweetheart and husband Martin. They met when Amber was 17 and had just moved to Long Beach.
His motivator: Martin said he uses Amber as motivation in his own life because of how she has overcome her disability
Important: ‘Having a disability doesn’t mean your life is over,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t mean that it’s the end or you have to stop your dreams if your disabled or in a wheelchair’
Martin has been there before Amber’s diagnosis and has been her rock as the conditioned worsened.
‘I use her as motivation,’ he said. ‘I’m so grateful to have her and both of us learned so much from this illness. We’re very thankful for just being where we are, we could be in a way worse situation.’
Amber hopes to inspire other people with disabilities through her cosplay. Changing people’s perceptions about what someone in a wheelchair can achieve.
‘Having a disability doesn’t mean your life is over,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t mean that it’s the end or you have to stop your dreams if your disabled or in a wheelchair.
‘You could always still get to the end goal no matter what you’re doing. Never give up on your dreams while being disabled.’