21-YEAR-OLD Buddy lives with an ultra-rare condition which makes his face look like he's "wearing a mask." There are thought to be only 13 people in the world with Nablus syndrome and Buddy was the third person on record to be diagnosed. The condition meant he was born with "very tiny" eyes, so his field of vision is narrow, with blind spots in his peripherals. He also cannot straighten most of his fingers and his voice has been affected too - multiple surgeries growing up were only partially successful in helping people to understand him. As a result of his appearance and his voice, Buddy faced bullying growing up - he told Truly: "It made me feel like, 'Man, I'm kind of different from everybody'." But Buddy decided to turn his difference into a superpower and set out on a mission to "inspire people." Now amassing followers on Instagram, Buddy posts inspirational content to motivate others and "set the example of a man who never complains about anything." His mom, Miki, recognised this in her son from a young age - she could see that "his mind was born strong" - and Buddy's gym trainer, Clarence agrees: "I was in awe from day one and he earned my respect instantly." But although Buddy has mastered the art of relentless positivity, deep down he still harbours hopes that there might be surgical options available to him that will make life even better - enabling him to "see and speak easier." So today, he is going to see Dr. Natori, his family doctor since birth - but will Dr. Natori have the answers Buddy is hoping for?
Follow Buddy:
https://www.instagram.com/buddy_young_advice
https://www.instagram.com/buddy.young.official
With thanks to:
https://www.instagram.com/unyqefitnesshonolulu
https://www.facebook.com/coachclw3
Follow Buddy:
https://www.instagram.com/buddy_young_advice
https://www.instagram.com/buddy.young.official
With thanks to:
https://www.instagram.com/unyqefitnesshonolulu
https://www.facebook.com/coachclw3
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NewsTranscript
00:00Only 30 people in the world have my wear condition.
00:04It makes me look like I'm wearing a mask.
00:07We didn't know how long he's going to live or what kind of life he has to go through.
00:13We didn't know what to do.
00:16When I was younger, I had surgery on my eyes and my throat so I could speak and see easier.
00:22But we're 100% successful, so today I'm going to go see my doctor.
00:27I'm hoping it will be awesome for me.
00:29The specialists, none of them have had to deal with a case like this.
00:35We have a hard time, especially growing up, because I didn't know how other people were going to treat me.
00:41And I was nervous about how I look.
00:44I have a rare condition called Natless.
00:48It's actually a super rare condition.
00:50There was a study back in 2018 that showed that only 30 people had this condition.
00:57At least it's a face mask syndrome.
01:00So for my kids, it made my eyes very tiny.
01:03I cannot straighten all my fingers all the way.
01:06I can only straighten out these two fingers.
01:09And it also affected my throat.
01:11So that's why I found this way.
01:13I had a really hard time with how people couldn't understand me.
01:17That's one of the things that kind of frustrated me when I was growing up.
01:22Morning, Mom.
01:24Hi, Dad.
01:25How old were you when you were diagnosed with this syndrome?
01:28Around the time I was in elementary school.
01:31I was rough, you know.
01:32I wasn't treated like other kids.
01:34So it kind of made me feel like, yeah, I'm kind of different from everybody.
01:38I had a lot of pain to make fun of me because they don't usually see someone who looks like
01:46me all the time.
01:47Then as I got older, I realized, hey, like, this is how the world's going to be.
01:51I can't really change how other people think about how I am.
01:55And my parents helped me a lot emotionally, especially through all my surgeries.
02:00I had a couple surgeries when I was younger.
02:02They actually tried to do surgery on my eye, but they couldn't open it.
02:08And then I had another surgery on my throat, which is my palate, because no one could understand me.
02:15When he was born, we didn't know anything.
02:18We didn't know how long he's going to live or what kind of life he has to go through.
02:26I have no idea.
02:27He had to go through so many surgeries.
02:31I was, like, really heartbroken.
02:34I mean, at the beginning, it was rough.
02:37And so I was like, yeah, why is all of this happening to me?
02:40But as I learned a lot, the way this is going to be, like, the building blocks.
02:45This is what I'm going to be.
02:46I'm going to use this one day to inspire people.
02:50Unfortunately, sometimes people look at him or how he looks like.
02:57I saw a lot of, you know, time.
02:59He has struggled.
03:01He fights with those situations.
03:05I'm so proud of him that he never really complained.
03:09I think his mind, from the beginning, burns strong.
03:12Well, now, as I look around, I see a lot of people, like, complaining.
03:18Complaining about very small things about their lives.
03:21So I was like, all right, I'm going to take the example of a man who never complains about anything.
03:27He's just music.
03:30And that's why I want to teach my kids to do.
03:33If they have the same disability as me, like, you've got to go through life like a warrior.
03:38How important was it having your mom there for you through everything?
03:42Oh, yeah, it was super important that she'd be there.
03:46You know, because who else am I going to go through it with?
03:49Thank you, Mom.
03:51Of course.
03:56My three-year surgery is 100% successful, so today I'm going to go see my doctor.
04:04I might ask him, hey, my name is your daughter's girlfriend, who would you do?
04:08Or another mouth, certainly, where I can open my jaw a little bit more.
04:13What about your eye?
04:15Yeah, I'm going to ask about that, too.
04:18I'm hoping there will be options for me so I can speak and see you easier.
04:24Hey, buddy, long time no see.
04:27Good to see you.
04:28Yeah, good to see you.
04:30It's been a while.
04:32You're 21 now.
04:33Yeah.
04:33I was there from your first minute of being alive.
04:37Isn't that crazy?
04:37Why don't you hop on up and let's get started?
04:40Sure.
04:40All right.
04:41So how's everything going?
04:43Health-wise, are we doing okay?
04:44Yeah, everything's been doing the right.
04:46I've been doing a lot of workouts.
04:48Yeah.
04:49I've been exercising a lot.
04:50It looks like it.
04:51Yeah, you're looking good.
04:52You're looking good.
04:53But you've had a long road, right?
04:54Yeah.
04:55You've had to see a bunch of other doctors and a bunch of other specialists.
04:59You've had some surgeries, too, right?
05:01Yeah.
05:01And we're not so successful.
05:03So I'm hoping in the future it's going to be a surgery or something that we can do to fix that, you know?
05:10Yeah, yeah.
05:11Well, you know, your condition is so rare that I think a lot of this we're sort of learning as we go.
05:19And I think even for the specialists, none of them have had to deal with a case like this.
05:25So a lot of it is sort of new and experimental.
05:28Luckily, there's a lot of smart people out there doing research on this now.
05:31So, you know, yeah, hopefully we'll have some solutions, you know, coming out.
05:35Yeah.
05:36But you know the amazing thing about you, buddy?
05:38Yeah.
05:39You've got a great sense of humor about the whole thing.
05:42And that's how you've been from when you were young.
05:44And that's why I've just enjoyed seeing you there in the office.
05:47Yeah.
05:47I'm grateful.
05:48No, no, I'm grateful.
05:51So I learned a lot.
05:52I consider myself lucky to have met you and to have learned about this condition.
05:58Because again, there's not many doctors in this world that know about this condition.
06:02Keep in touch.
06:03I'm always here for you.
06:04Good to see you.
06:05Good to see you, too, doctor.
06:07You take care.
06:08Yeah, thank you.
06:09If you're currently dealing with any type of low surface food or insecurity, then listen to me.
06:16So I started making Instagram videos back in 2024.
06:20And all my friends were like, hey, you're really good at giving advice.
06:24You're good at giving inspiration to others.
06:27So why don't you start content creation?
06:29And then I just started, like, going out the line from there.
06:32And it blew up pretty quickly, actually.
06:34Like, within just a few weeks, I had, like, 10,000 followers.
06:38I got a lot of comments on my team.
06:41People comment me different things.
06:42Like, I get this one comment a lot from the engine final boss.
06:46And this one, it kind of makes me crack up a little bit because it's like, I really do look like an engine final boss.
06:57Buddy's an awesome person, awesome soul.
06:59The most impressive, I would say, is just his ability to just take whatever challenge and just go into it full steam ahead.
07:05How's it making you feel, bud?
07:07It makes it feel great.
07:08How's that, bud?
07:11Yeah.
07:11This one good?
07:12Yeah.
07:13All the way in?
07:13Yep.
07:15Everybody's going to play a lot of different games, you know.
07:19One, two, three.
07:22And the way I kind of learned is that you can do two things.
07:26You can watch and do anything, or you can kind of spin it off and be like, yeah, okay.
07:31You got your thing very much.
07:34Once you look at him, it kind of makes you go inside yourself and kind of understand.
07:38Like, none of us really have excuses.
07:40I was in awe from day one, and he earned my respect instantly.
07:46The way I'm approaching right now is not merely a sense of pride or kindness, but more like, I'm grateful.
07:53I'm grateful to have my career.
07:55I'm grateful to have, like, people around me.
07:58I'm grateful for everything that I've been put through.
08:01Challenges, obstacles, opportunities, whatever.
08:04I'm grateful.
08:05Whatever makes you different, it brings you.
08:08Because that makes you who you are.
08:11That's what's going to make you special.
08:13One final message I sing.
08:15The universe is great.
08:16Your life is great.
08:18And you are great.
08:19God bless you.
08:36The universe is great.
08:37The love is great.
08:37The universe is great.