The secret to adapting? It’s made for everyone.

Melanie’s headshot in Portrait style. She stands with her left hand on her hip & her bionic arm infront of her. She’s wearing a velvet evergreen v neck dress and she is a Latinx woman with Brown eyes & Golden brown hair. Her dimple is POPPING.

If you’re wondering how long it would take a person who’s experienced limb loss to forget their own amputation anniversary, for me the answer is NINE YEARS. I’m a 9-year-old-amputee!!! 

While I might have forgotten this special day, I will never forget the significance that time in my life holds.

The fact is that accepting a new disability or any major injury can completely affect an individual’s outlook on life.  

If you’re new around here, HELLO! My name is Melanie & my limb loss happened back between Sept-Oct 2013 when I suffered from a heparin induced thrombocytopenia—aka a severe medical trauma.  Due to this incident, I lost the motor function of my right hand & wrist. About a week later, my arm was amputated below the elbow.  

I was in the hospital at University of Florida, Shand’s for 30 days after having about 10 procedures and visits to 3 separate ICU’S.  .

Becsuse of this, my career suddenly shifted from a non-disabled Disney cast member to a disabled actor advocating for Disability inclusion in the media— in my eyes, this something that could leave a younger-me’s head spinning!

A life lesson that I think I would give my younger self that I learned from losing my arm would be to lean into sarcasm and dark humor, it’s the best way to find humor in times of adversity. Also to leave the “I can’t”‘a at the door. Like cutting ties with a toxic person or vice, the more I can avoid saying “I can’t” and the more I focus that energy on redirection, then the more likely I am to accomplish ANY of my goals!  

More often than not, I have been the one to be the hardest on myself & have stood in my own way.  To this day it sometimes comes out in bouts of anxiety or depression but most importantly, I think, knowing this applies to the way that I treat other people around me.  When I am openly listening to, connecting with and really taking in the world around me allows me to find new joys in everything and in my communities, each and every day. 

The most surprising and amazing part of this entire journey has been through these connections I’ve been fortunate enough to make.  Learning more about the statistics that represent us, the disabled, and advocating about the injustices that we face has given me the confidence to say “YES, I’m PROUDLY here to represent this incredible group of nuanced and unique humans, with all of my one-handed might!”

When I say YES to the opportunities that best serve me and say NO to the things that do not, I know that I am in alignment with myself and my own values.  

There is nothing more powerful in my life than recognizing this gift, within myself.

I hope that you’re able to take a little bit of some self-aligned-magic with you today!  Remember to check in with yourself, and to nurture yourself as your needs may/will come.  Learn to make your own happiness and joy and the world is sure to meet you, where you are at.  

Be well & find your goodness. 

Melanie

Where is the world is Melanie Rivera Waldman?!

Are you there, WordPress? It’s me, Mel!!

It’s been almost a year + 1 week, to the day, since my last blog post… a long time my friends!

I do apologize for being MIA on this blog, however in the past few months I’ve been anything but lazy. From 2 trips out to work on a film project, to my debut with Queens Theatre, followed by a 7+ ft tall “Flat Stanley” styled Taska poster in Germany… if I wasn’t myself I’d be asking “How in the world does she even do that”

So let’s back things up to right where we left off & I’ll work my way to what’s in the works for me, for the rest of 2022!

Since YOGA was the theme of my last post oaths page, let’s start here.  

This is might be one of the most difficult areas of interest for me to talk about atm, so it makes the most sense as to why its been tough for me to want to talk about.  Which is why I’ve gone almost radio-silent on my role as a teacher & yogi.  

Let’s talk HEALTH. In 2021 I began receiving care for a few new diagnoses—Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (EDS*), Rheumatoid Arthritis, & potential Gastroparesis, TBD—because of this in addition to what symptoms I’ve been having, my doctors have officially put on medical leave from both practicing & teaching yoga.  *As EDS is a connective tissue disorder… To put it plainly, I can hurt myself from sneezing too hard. Hypermobility means that if I’m focused on exercise that I should focus my energy on strength training vs stretching.  

I’m doing everything that I can to maintain my weight but as many of us who have accepted taking medications— the weight came with a change in my medications & that’s often difficult to fight off the extra pounds and cravings.  I do hope to dig in further on this in the next coming months but for now I’ll keep “the overshare” to a minimum.

Mentally though, things have been great. My MINDSET staying in-check has led me up to multiple positive major changes in my personal life as well as to my career in the most wonderful of ways. With thanks to my teachers at Accessible Yoga,  I have maintained my yogic mindset on both mental and spiritual journeys, as a yoga practitioner, beyond the asana/physical poses on my mat! Also thanks to a very special new “someone” being around to keep me smiling, I’ve noticed that now these moments are all that we have. They are all precious and should be appreciated to their fullest extent!

Now, as for my ACTING CAREER : 

This time of year brought about another year in participating in the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge (EDFC), which very fruitfully brought my team our film the winning title of “Best Awareness Campaign”. My second win within the competition  (film linked, here) 

This year, I decided to make a few reels in which I reviewed some of my personal favorite films.  Surprisingly this was one of my favorite years to be on a nominated finalist’s team as it helped to collectively promote the festival, rather than our own individual films.  I’m now glad to say that within that one week of competition,  I landed myself some paid work in creating content RELATED to my reviews. Just when it felt like “nobody sees my content” (which is a major insecurity some creators face), the exact opposite brought my efforts to professional success! 

What a wild ride the last few months have been!

Edit: ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, with all of these many moving parts, it can seem incredibly overwhelming to maintain this intense yet wonderful life of mine–I’m learning that at the end of the day that all that’s left to be done is to breathe and be grateful for what I’ve got!

SO, WHAT’S NEXT? 

After months of traveling & working from both the East & West coasts, I’m finally happy to be taking some time to slow down and focus on my personal life, health matters & content creation—  But never fear, I ain’t goin nowhere! There are definitely some major shifts are in-the-works as it is, so really only time will tell!  Whatever may come my way I welcome and embrace the changes they may bring as well as the lessons I might learn from them.  

Cheers & I love you!

Melanie

These are a few of my favorite 2022 EDFC short films

Wow, it’s been a hot minute! I have a great new update on its way, but first here are a few of my favorite films from this year’s Easterseals Disability Film Challenge

 (In no particular order:)

Getty images Tommaso Boddi with the cast of “ILY” at the 2022 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Top Left, Sophia Morales, Christine Marshall (director), Melanie Rivera Waldman on the Top Right. Front Left Sawsan Zakaria, Cassidy Huff, & Jennifer Montzingo (Producer) Front Right. All are holding up the ASL sign for “I love you”.

-ILY (the film I’m in)

-Seven 

-Mac & Cheese

-Heroes in Training

-Andy & Kaliope

-In the Mirror

-Turn table

-La Chancla

-Power Trip

You can check out these films and many more on the Disability Film Challenge’s Youtube page, linked here.

You’ll be hearing much more from me very very soon!

FREE ON DEMAND ADAPTIVE/ACCESSIBLE YOGA VIDEOS

Yes, it’s true!! You heard right!

in an effort to, as they say give the people what they want, here are some FREE resources to find you your own custom yoga practice!

Some of you may remember that last summer I was able to make an accessible yoga video as a collaboration with American Eagle, Aerie! If you’d like to check it out, its’ a gentle movement class meant to introduce you to the practice of yoga–Let me know what you think! Linked here

I also recently created my very first online Kids yoga class, created specifically with upper limb differences, in mind! You can find that class on my whereswaldman youtube page:

If you have any questions concerning yoga or for bookings, please contact info.whereswaldman@gmail.com

Take care!!
-Mel

Welcome to my new website!

MelanieRiveraWaldman.com is now LIVE!!! [DJ KHALID’S “PEW PEW PEW” PLAYS ]

Shot by Aaron Palmer

Thru covid, quarantine andI’m so happy with how the whole site came together. Big thanks to Jessica Rae Beyer, Jessica Potter, Kyle Branzel & Jen Waldman for the guidance, feedback and overall support in this process!

Creating a website was semi stressful but I think it was definitely a lot of fun to do! I’ll be adding more services and resources as time goes on but it feels good to have laid down a foundation to add upon to!

I highly suggest working with any of these lovely mentors! If you’re even just remotely considering just getting a website together, it was worth it to have the guidance behind the scenes. In the words of Baron Baptiste, “you are ready now”. This quote keeps coming up again and again for me. I’ve been ready to have my own domain and website up for a while. Now that it’s there, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted!

I created my website on squarespace and outside of my mentors’ help, it was fairly easy to use the interface. Anything that I was unsure of, I would just google or search how to do on youtube.

Please let me know what you think! If you haven’t already seen my 5 min autobiographical documentary “Being A.C.-een” be sure to keep an eye out for that, as well!

EDIT: The “bad news” is that I had a surprise appendectomy a few weeks ago and because I had the incision, I’m looking ahead to almost 4 more weeks of “NO teaching and no taking yoga classes”- MY SURGEON. So is my website a diversion? … nice weather we’re having, no?

If that’s. the “bad news”, here’s some “good news”:
Look out for a new YouTube Vlog update soon! SO much to cover since my last blog update but little by little, we’ll all get caught up soon.

Please remember to tak care, be kind to yourselves and have a HAPPY (& SAFE) HAUNTING!!


Laugh it up, fuzzballs
-Mel ❤

“Being A.C.-een” my short autobiographical story

Who are you, for yourself?
Who will you be there for yourself, in the face of adversity?

Think about it.

Hello! If we haven’t met just yet, my name is Melanie (Rivera Waldman), but my friends and family often call me “Mely”.  I am 29 years old and I’m from Southern New Jersey, specifically the Atlantic City area.

In my own way, in an essence I know, that’s who I am and who Ill be.  A community member, a spokesperson in a way.  Myself.

I’ll tell you more about it in the coming weeks– FAQ’S I’ve gotten, feedback, small planned re-edits to come –that’s showbiz!!

Leave any questions that you may have for me about yoga, acting, lupus, limb loss, sky’s the limit.

Thank you for watching, supporting or just for checking out this page/post ISO answers

Til then, enjoy the show!!

NEW POST, who this??

HI THERE!
Long time, no see! I hope you’re all thriving in quarantine. These days I’m missing traveling with friends, traveling alone, traveling for work, being on set and umm OH yeah and traveling!

Anyway, this is my post saying that I need to make a new post!! Change is the only constant, and lot has changed since April of 2020. I have a new prosthesis that I *must* introduce to all of you, here on the blogisphere. I (social distance) shot these gorgeous new updated portraits, by Erin Murphy Designs in Philadelphia. OH, I also just wrapped production on my 4th year’s film for Easterseals Disability Film Challenge!!! I’ve needed to update my story, anyway so I’m excited that this year’s theme is documentary short–but you’ll have to wait to hear more on that when it drops THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND!!

Til then, here’s my new hand, a “Taska” by Fillauer and a cute pup that isn’t mine, at all and/or who definitely doesn’t quite grasp the concept of “physical distancing”

If you have any questions, please be sure to send them my way! info.whereswaldman@gmail.com

Stay tuned and be well, betches!
-Mel

Limb Difference Awareness Month, 2020

My limb difference

This is my story. It’s a memory that over time I’ve managed to live in-celebration-with rather than in fear or in shame of.

September 2013, Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) as a result of 2 blood clots in the artery of my right wrist. 2 weeks before, I had just received my first official diagnosis of Lupus SLE. Antiphospholippid syndrome was suspected, but never officially diagnosed.

If I lost you at “HIT”, welcome back! Basically speaking, the extraction and destruction of my blood clots resulted in a *highly* allergic reaction, which caused the loss of function in my right forearm, wrist and hand. Amputation wasn’t a choice, but at that point it was suggested to me that I’d live a happier life without my hand. Though—yes—I was right-handed. Still to this day, I wouldn’t change that decision for a second. To me, I believe my limb difference doesn’t make me any bit less-than, it only emphasizes my inner persistence.

Now in this time, celebrating my disability while in social isolation does feel a little strange. Yet somehow this feeling isn’t completely unfamiliar to me. During my time in the hospital, seven years ago at the time of my amputation, I was held in the hospital, in 3 ICU’s over a period of 30 Days. In the years since, I’ve had multiple surgeries that have left me to recover at home with my family, but isolated from most of the outside world. This is something I’ve learned to manage, as a “spoonie” (in having lupus flares), over the years as well.

To me social distancing has become a part of my survival skill set. It’s embedded in my bones. To the people with disabilities, spoonies, stay at home moms, anyone that has had to endure their own sense of isolation before this knows that same familiar feeling. It what makes us resilient, resistant relentless in this battle against time.

Yoga has taught me so much about myself in this time and has helped me to connect with a sense comfort in the discomfort. Which is exactly where I live today. The in-between.

I am beyond grateful for the limb different & disability communities that I have been connected with over this time. Finding a commonality in our adversities is a beautiful perspective on this life— so the in between is where I will stay, and find my own happy ending in this chaotic mess of time.

I hope that when things return to normal that we all remember how we persisted. To create accessibility in a time where it became essential to each and every. To see the world adjust to isolation is awe-inspiring to see. (I know, I said the “i” word but it perfectly describes the times) This strange energetic shift in spacing ourselves created something that I don’t think any of us had expected to come of this. Yet here we are, more connected than ever before.

#mystory #limbdifferenceawarenessmonth #limbdifferent #amputee #milkmodelsearch #lupus #lupusawareness

Please, give her a hand!!

New Youtube Vlog!!
A Tour de Arms!

Which of the two is your favorite??

Be on the lookout!
Whereswaldman next:

What it’s Like to Have a Day You Will Forever Forget.

On Sept 10, 2013 I was not in my best shape. I was in my midst of multiple surgeries at Orlando Regional Med Center.   Until my health status became nearly fatal, resulting in the hospital staff informing me that I would need to be medically evacuated (yup, via helicopter) to Shands hospital—where my arm was ultimately later amputated

—

Meanwhile, my mom was with me. She was DEFINITELY coming with me, but there was no space for her to come with me in the helicopter. (This story later resulted police involvement over her rental car that had to be left behind, but that’s a much different comedy of errors). 

—

We convinced the hospital staff that I should travel via ambulance, one large enough for my mom to come along, too. 

—

That was the last thing I remember of Sept 11, 2013. I was admitted to Shands Hospital Trauma ICU, my new home and first of 3 different ICU’s within the same hospital. 

—

According to my medical papers, I was immediately taken into surgery, where a large blood clot was found “originating at the distal ancillary artery”. After that, I cannot remember very much, at all. (Well, I do temporarily remember a breathing tube down my throat, but that was promptly ended by a ketamine-induced **hardcore** nap. 

—

Sept 11, we remember as a nation. But Sept 11, 2013 is a day that will forever be “skipped” in my memory. AND THATS OKAY. It’s how I cope with my trauma. I believe I had 3 more surgeries after that, which was when I suffered my Heparin induced thrombocytopenia. 

—-

The medical notes after that are far too detailed for me to share, but after that I basically lost all function from my right side forearm down to my fingers. 

—-

I’m not sure when I eventually came-to But my phone photos show that I went to TOWN on a Big Mac, delivered by my dad, who eventually made his way from Hersey to Florida to meet us. 

—

So why forever forget this day? You could technically say my it’s my first of 2 “alive day(s)”. But what I remember wasn’t a will to survive, but a NEED to wake up and stay present. Did I see the “final curtain”? Who knows.. but I felt the support around me from my parents. I hadn’t seen them in almost 4 months, at this point. So I knew what I was holding onto. 

—

I forget Sept 11th because I had Sept 12 to wake up into. Each and every day of that journey was a gift to us all. I ultimately was introduced to mindfulness, my intro to yogic thought. It changed me, it changed my parents, it’s changed my family, my friends and will ALWAYS influence my life–with gusto.

—

When today is not enough, breathe more life into tomorrow. It’s a new day to see, a new day to greet. A new day to be thankful for. My dad used the phrase, “No bad days”, but even then I knew that I had to stay in the “bad” days in order to reach the “good” ones. It’s okay to both forget those darker days AND to acknowledge them for what they have to teach us. I can confidently stand here and say that those days I forget, I am eternally grateful and thankful for. 

—

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. For more information on mindfulness and lupus and other hardships of a hospital life—send me a message and we will figure it out, together!

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