When Claudio Vieira de Oliveira was born, he was not expected to live more than 24 hours.
Now, 44 years later, the Brazilian man, whose rare medical condition has left his head turned all the way backward, works as a motivational speaker and is living his life to the fullest.
However, after recently contracting COVID-19, he has had to put his career plans on pause.
According to The New York Post, Vieira de Oliveira has a condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which also caused muscular atrophy in his legs and his arms to be permanently fixed at his side.
Despite that, he has said in previous interviews, that as normally as he's able to.
"Throughout my life I was able to adapt my body to the world. Right now, I don't see myself as being different. I am a normal person," he told People in 2014. He adds: "I don't see things upside down."
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, he took precautions, but despite all of his precautions, "isolating for over a year," he still contracted the illness.
"I'm in full-on quarantine because this COVID is very aggressive, it's lethal, so we're scared. Spare me, God, from this damned illness," he said.
Vieira de Oliveira hopes that the pandemic eases soon so he can go back to his public speaking career, which he began in 2000.
"I'm missing it so much. I've got a speech in the municipality of Bezerra, in the state of Pernamubco, scheduled for April 28," he shared. "I want to give my talks again and live for many years."
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