ABBY Asani was born with spina bifida - a condition that results in a gap in the spine which also affects her organs leaving her with a smaller torso. Abby has wanted to be a model her entire life, and began modelling two years ago. Dating hasn’t always been easy. Abby says: “The problem that I had was trying to figure out a man's true intention, because I think a lot of men have this fetish of being with a smaller woman which is ridiculous." She continued: “Society thinks I don’t go on dates, that I’m not intimate? It’s a bit weird to me that people really think that. I just have a disability, it’s not that serious." Will she finally meet a man good enough?
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00 Society thinks I don't go on dates,
00:02 or that I'm not intimate.
00:03 It's a little weird to me that people really think that.
00:06 I just have a disability.
00:07 It's not that serious.
00:09 All right, so this is more my vibe,
00:11 as a little sexiness.
00:13 Today I'm going on a blind date
00:14 with a guy I know nothing about.
00:16 The reason why I'm standing, 'cause it's like,
00:18 you can't tell I'm four feet tall when I'm sitting.
00:20 So I'd rather get that awkwardness out.
00:22 - Oh, yeah.
00:24 - Oh!
00:25 I think there's a misunderstanding
00:27 that a lot of people think people with disabilities don't date,
00:30 which I think is stupid.
00:31 The problem that I have with is trying to figure out
00:35 a man's true intention,
00:36 'cause I think a lot of men have this, like,
00:38 fetish of being with smaller women,
00:40 which is, like, ridiculous.
00:42 I constantly hear men talk about,
00:45 "Oh, I've never been with a smaller woman."
00:47 Like, "Oh, I don't care."
00:48 So that's the really annoying part.
00:50 I have spina bifida, which is a birth defect.
00:53 Basically, it's an opening in the spine
00:56 when your spine is screwed up.
00:57 So are all your other organs.
00:59 But it doesn't really phase me.
01:01 I picked three outfits.
01:02 Honestly, picking clothes is, like, hell,
01:05 because nothing really fits me.
01:07 I constantly have to get them either tailored.
01:10 And the thing about when you have, like, spina bifida,
01:13 the torso is much shorter than the bottom of the body.
01:17 Today, I'm going on a blind date
01:19 with a guy I know nothing about, so this is great.
01:22 [ Engine revving ]
01:25 ♪♪
01:28 I'm very nervous.
01:29 Like, I feel like I'm gonna throw up.
01:32 And the reason why I'm standing is 'cause it's like,
01:34 you can't tell I'm 4 feet tall when I'm sitting.
01:36 So I'd rather get that awkwardness out.
01:39 It's less awkward.
01:40 ♪♪
01:42 My name's Kofi. I'm 21 years old,
01:45 and I'm currently living in Boston, Massachusetts.
01:47 What I look for in a partner?
01:49 Compatibility.
01:50 I mean, somebody that I can probably just have
01:51 a great conversation with,
01:53 somebody that can understand what I do,
01:54 being a creative and everything,
01:56 and, you know, vice versa,
01:57 somebody that can, you know, pour something into me.
02:00 ♪♪
02:03 Hello. -Hi.
02:05 -How are you? -I'm good. How are you?
02:06 I'm Abby. Nice to meet you. -Abby Kofi.
02:08 Nice to meet you.
02:09 -He's there.
02:11 This is exciting. -It is.
02:13 ♪♪
02:15 -Are you from Boston? -I am not from Boston.
02:18 I studied at Berklee College of Music for a second.
02:21 Yeah, took a break for a second.
02:22 I'm trying to get back there.
02:24 But did dual studies at Harvard for a minute, too.
02:26 -How old are you? -21.
02:28 -Oh! Sorry. -How old is --
02:30 [ Laughs ]
02:32 -I'm literally -- What the hell?
02:34 No offense.
02:36 I actually just turned 29. -Oh, nice.
02:38 -I feel, like, very grandma.
02:40 -Grandma? Why?
02:42 -'Cause I'm almost in my 30s.
02:43 -Oh, no. That's the best age I hear.
02:45 ♪♪
02:47 What's your previous experience been like?
02:50 -I think most men have a lot of --
02:51 like, a fetish with smaller women.
02:53 -Okay, so talk to me about that, then.
02:55 -I don't even know what to say.
02:57 -Is it -- I don't even notice really anything different
03:00 other than the height. -Really?
03:02 Well, they have the fetish. That's the fetish.
03:04 -So what is your official height?
03:06 -Four feet. -Four feet?
03:08 -Yeah. -Okay. Nice, nice, nice.
03:10 -These heels aren't an inch. -Okay.
03:11 I didn't even -- Okay, wow.
03:13 -You didn't notice? -I didn't notice the heels.
03:14 I'm sorry. -Wow.
03:16 -Oh, that's a red flag.
03:17 What's your first impression?
03:19 -He's very handsome and great smile, tall,
03:23 which I like him tall.
03:25 And he's honestly very, very sweet.
03:27 You can tell he's genuine.
03:29 So, honestly, like, he seems like a really genuine person,
03:32 but I'm so thrown off that he's 21
03:35 and I can't get that out of my head,
03:37 but I'm trying real hard to, like, look past that.
03:40 So what are your thoughts on people with disabilities?
03:46 -People with disabilities?
03:47 I have no thoughts on that, honestly.
03:48 I really don't. I don't look for that.
03:52 So, I mean, my opinion --
03:55 Is what you have considered a disability?
03:57 -Yes, I have spina bifida.
03:58 -Oh, okay. I didn't know what it was.
04:00 -Yeah. -Is that something you're born with?
04:02 -Yeah, it's a birth defect. So you're born with it.
04:05 Just get lucky and it's like, "Ah, that's what you get."
04:08 -Growing up with spina bifida, honestly, it was difficult
04:11 because there was a lot of bullying
04:13 and I didn't understand, like, what was happening.
04:17 It started as early as first grade,
04:19 so I didn't really feel like I had the support I needed
04:22 as a young child to reach out to someone for help or for guidance.
04:28 -So what do you see in the next person
04:29 or the individual you choose to try to look for?
04:32 -The ideal person is someone who's definitely done
04:34 a lot of work on themselves. -Yeah.
04:36 -And -- 'Cause I'm not coming in to save you.
04:39 Like, we're not doing that anymore.
04:41 -Yeah. Okay.
04:42 -So that's literally my ideal person.
04:45 -And what's yours? -Person?
04:47 Somebody that's compatible. Somebody that can --
04:49 -Well, what is compatible for you?
04:51 -Well, doing music, being in the arts.
04:53 You know, I feel like just somebody that can understand
04:55 the work that goes into that, you know,
04:57 understanding my day-to-day is different.
04:59 Yeah.
05:01 For work or career, what do you do?
05:04 -I work for an agency helping those who are on Section 8.
05:09 -Okay. -Assisting them in low-income housing.
05:11 That's what I do.
05:12 But obviously, my other side thing is modeling.
05:14 That's literally what I love and care about and passionate about.
05:18 Honestly, being in front of a camera, for me,
05:19 it's very, like, natural.
05:21 It doesn't feel awkward at all.
05:22 It doesn't feel like I don't get nerves.
05:24 And I really took it serious, I would say,
05:26 like, the past two years,
05:27 that I've really been doing the professional stuff
05:30 and actually building my portfolio.
05:32 Modeling has helped me feel more comfortable
05:35 within my skin and myself.
05:37 Thank you.
05:39 Roast fry?
05:40 Yeah.
05:41 -What's your Zodiac sign? -Oh, my God.
05:43 The Zodiac sign question?
05:45 I felt like that was coming.
05:46 I'm a Libra.
05:48 -What?! -What are you?
05:50 -Sorry. I'm a Libra. -Wait, wait, wait.
05:52 Don't tell me your birthday. Did it already happen?
05:54 -It did. -Oh, so you're September 29th.
05:56 -No, October 1st. -Oh.
05:59 -I hate September. -It was just --
06:00 Wait, it was just -- -Yeah, Friday.
06:03 -Oh, happy birthday, dude.
06:04 So you just turned 29?
06:07 You're 28.
06:08 This went pretty good.
06:09 I mean, in my eyes, I really enjoyed,
06:12 you know, talking to Abby and learning more about her
06:14 and, you know, everything that kind of goes into being her.
06:17 This was so fun. I really enjoyed it.
06:20 Had a great time.
06:21 He definitely met my criteria.
06:23 He's tall and handsome.
06:25 Would I like to take her out on another date?
06:27 I'm not opposed to considering that.
06:30 I mean, I think she's a great person,
06:32 but I think we'd probably be great friends
06:34 and everything like that.
06:35 I don't know about a romantic relationship
06:37 or anything of that sort.
06:38 I don't think he was bothered by my disability.
06:40 This dating experience has taught me
06:42 that you really have to be open-minded,
06:44 especially when it comes to age.
06:45 I think we're just stuck on, like,
06:46 "Well, they have to be a certain age to be mature."
06:48 That's not the case.
06:50 ♪♪
06:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]