Deanna’s Story | Thriving with EB

You can watch the full video of Deanna’s Story here (or down below).

Deanna’s Story

I was born with raw skin on my hands and feet. Everywhere the doctors handled me, the skin would fall off or blister. My name is Deanna Molinaro.

A painter with EB

I am a 27-year-old artist from Hamilton, Ontario and I have recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, which is the second most severe type of EB. If you want something bad enough you’re gonna figure out the best way to go about getting there. I use literally vegetable and fruit elastics for my brushes or pen and pencil. I can manage pretty much everything on my own. I can clean off my brush and exchange the brush if I need to. I make a mess constantly, I’m not gonna lie.

Experiencing loss

When I was a child I did have ten fingers, ten toes. I walked, I ran. I remember my first surgery. I was righthanded so I adapted and I became a lefty. And recently when I lost my right forearm, I became a lefty again. Over the past two years, I’ve relearned how to write and paint and do fine details with my left.

Perspective

At first, you’re resenting and you’re like why me? Why is this happening? But then there becomes an acceptance because you realize life is too short. And I think the biggest thing EB has taught me is to live in the moment and enjoy the good things in life. I don’t immerse myself in the fact that I have EB because it’s not something that defines me.

Plans for the future

My goal is to establish myself more as an artist and an individual. I started my business about three years ago now. It’s called D’Innovation Art. I do a lot of commission pieces. I also sell prints of my work and paint handbags which is really fun and exciting.

I’m Deanna Molinaro, and I’m thriving with EB.

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