The Power Couple With Bones Like Glass | BORN DIFFERENT
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POWER COUPLE and rising social media stars, Dejua and Antwon, were both born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Also known as brittle bone disease, the condition means their bones are "like glass" and they estimate that, between them, they have suffered "painful" breaks over 600 times. The couple have "both fractured ribs just by sneezing before" but their shared experience of OI has meant that they can "really understand each other... When we are hurt, we know how to handle each other pretty well." Others have not been so understanding though and the pair have had to face their fair share of negativity ever since they began posting on TikTok and YouTube. They have regularly been called "Mr and Mrs Potato Head" and Antwon has been told his fingers look like "French fries" and asked whether he uses a voice filter. But he has never allowed the trolling to phase him - "If you think I'm ugly, that's your opinion, I do not care" - and hits back with comic skits designed to "let people know that you're not hurting me." And even though everywhere they go "people stare", that has done nothing to deter the couple from living their best life. Dejua is adamant that "having OI does not control me" and Antwon has found a new confidence too - all thanks to Dejua: "It's just really showed me that I can find true love. I'm living life, she's living life."
Follow Dejua on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dej396
Follow Antwon on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@antwontheofficial
Follow the couple on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@BeautyandTheOdd
Follow the couple on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beautyandtheodd
With thanks to: https://www.instagram.com/_mamannyc_
POWER COUPLE and rising social media stars, Dejua and Antwon, were both born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Also known as brittle bone disease, the condition means their bones are "like glass" and they estimate that, between them, they have suffered "painful" breaks over 600 times. The couple have "both fractured ribs just by sneezing before" but their shared experience of OI has meant that they can "really understand each other... When we are hurt, we know how to handle each other pretty well." Others have not been so understanding though and the pair have had to face their fair share of negativity ever since they began posting on TikTok and YouTube. They have regularly been called "Mr and Mrs Potato Head" and Antwon has been told his fingers look like "French fries" and asked whether he uses a voice filter. But he has never allowed the trolling to phase him - "If you think I'm ugly, that's your opinion, I do not care" - and hits back with comic skits designed to "let people know that you're not hurting me." And even though everywhere they go "people stare", that has done nothing to deter the couple from living their best life. Dejua is adamant that "having OI does not control me" and Antwon has found a new confidence too - all thanks to Dejua: "It's just really showed me that I can find true love. I'm living life, she's living life."
Follow Dejua on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dej396
Follow Antwon on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@antwontheofficial
Follow the couple on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@BeautyandTheOdd
Follow the couple on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beautyandtheodd
With thanks to: https://www.instagram.com/_mamannyc_
Transcript
00:00 I'm Deja.
00:01 And I'm Antoine.
00:03 We're a couple.
00:04 And we were born with osteogenesis.
00:08 Imperfecta.
00:09 Our bones are like glass.
00:11 Together, we have broken over 600.
00:15 Yes.
00:15 So many.
00:16 600.
00:17 People say some crazy things.
00:18 They call us Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.
00:21 Yes, we do have a voice filter.
00:23 People stare.
00:25 But we don't care.
00:26 Because we're looking fresh.
00:29 Fresh.
00:30 Fresh.
00:30 The king is awake, baby.
00:37 [GIGGLING]
00:38 Ah.
00:40 What you cooking?
00:41 French toast and sausage.
00:45 Ew, just like I like it.
00:48 Ah-ha.
00:49 Can't wait to eat.
00:51 My name is Deja.
00:52 I'm 27 years old.
00:54 And I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
00:58 My name is Antoine.
01:00 I am 30 years old.
01:02 And I'm from Washington, DC.
01:05 Ah.
01:06 Yeah.
01:07 OI is a bone condition that causes our bones to break,
01:12 sprain, or fracture easier than others.
01:17 And we both have two different types.
01:19 Deja has type 3.
01:22 I have type 2.
01:23 My type is more severe than hers.
01:26 We depend on our wheelchairs.
01:28 These wheels will take us far.
01:30 Believe that.
01:32 So we met through my older sister.
01:37 She lends to me with a bus.
01:39 She called me.
01:41 She told me she met someone that has OI.
01:45 He gave off the impression that he was the stuff.
01:49 Ha, ha, ha, ha.
01:50 Yeah.
01:51 That was in 2015.
01:54 We were messaging every day.
01:57 Like every day, all day.
01:59 We met each other in person.
02:01 After seven years, we never met.
02:02 Yeah, after seven years.
02:03 Which is crazy.
02:04 Yep.
02:05 We met for the first time, finally.
02:07 He spent the whole weekend with me.
02:09 We went out to dinner.
02:10 And she didn't know what I had planned for her.
02:13 But the whole plan was to ask her to be my girlfriend.
02:16 And I surprised her.
02:18 He got me flowers.
02:19 Yeah.
02:20 She got emotional.
02:21 But she said yes.
02:23 So we've been together ever since then.
02:25 We're not with each other because of our condition.
02:28 But us having the same thing is like a bonus.
02:31 Because like we can really understand each other.
02:35 We make it happen.
02:36 We make it work.
02:37 Like a power couple.
02:39 This is Anton.
02:40 This is for Anton.
02:42 I break his stuff up because he's spoiled.
02:45 Growing up with OI, there were some challenges because of our condition.
02:51 The more frustrating thing about our condition is when we do have to go through a break.
02:58 My bones kept breaking so many times.
03:01 I always had to go to the doctors.
03:03 And I missed a lot of days of school.
03:05 I also too had a lot of breaks.
03:08 My bones are more fragile when I was younger.
03:11 Like I would break at least, no joke, maybe like once a week.
03:16 I think I've broken my bones around 400 times.
03:20 I would say maybe 200.
03:22 We have both fractured ribs just by sneezing before.
03:27 So either of us have some type of coughing fit or sneezing fit.
03:32 We pause and look at each other and be like, "Are you okay? Are you alright?"
03:38 It's crazy.
03:40 It's painful.
03:41 It's very painful.
03:43 My type, I'm able to wear cast.
03:46 But Antoine is not.
03:48 In order to put that on, I do have to be put to sleep.
03:53 Surprisingly, I have never had any surgeries.
03:57 So I am thankful for that.
03:59 I just have to be home, stay home for a couple weeks, stay still.
04:04 We are very understanding.
04:06 Like when we are hurt, we know how to handle each other pretty well when we need to help each other.
04:15 Hey guys, I'm Deja the Beauty.
04:19 And I'm Antoine the...
04:23 I've had a TikTok since 2020.
04:27 And then when I got with Antoine and started posting with him, people would love it.
04:32 Because everyone kept asking me to make vlogs.
04:35 So I said, "Okay, I'm going to try it out."
04:37 I went on there and I made a video and it went viral.
04:41 My first video just went crazy.
04:44 The comments are going to end up here.
04:47 People say some crazy things.
04:49 A lot of people, they call us Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.
04:54 They talk about my fingers, like you know, French fry fingers and all that.
04:59 Yo, little fries out here.
05:01 Y'all can't touch little fries out here.
05:03 And my voice, they talk about my voice.
05:05 They ask me do I have a voice filter.
05:07 I look different. I talk different. I'm built different.
05:11 It says, "I thought this was a bug on his back."
05:14 So who's responding to that comment?
05:17 You thought I was a bug on his back?
05:20 You should see my cousins.
05:22 And if you think I'm ugly or you think I'm this, that's your opinion.
05:27 I do not care.
05:28 I'm going to sleep well tonight.
05:31 I don't have to ever meet you.
05:33 We're going to be on the same level.
05:35 I'm going to be up here. You'll be down there.
05:38 I don't let negative comments just go out the window.
05:41 Just make a joke of it. Let people know that you're not hurting me.
05:45 You! I know you talk about me. Keep talking.
05:48 So today is a special day because it is our anniversary.
05:53 One year and four months together.
05:57 We are celebrating today by going to like a little cafe spot.
06:03 I'm dressing up. She's dressing up.
06:06 And when we dress up, everybody can move out the way.
06:11 The spotlight is on us.
06:13 I hope we got some good food.
06:16 The king and queen is here.
06:19 Ew.
06:21 People stare. People say, "Oh, God bless you."
06:26 I don't really pay attention to if someone's looking at me.
06:30 Only if I catch them.
06:32 I feel them too.
06:34 I look way back at them.
06:36 I know people looking now.
06:38 See, I don't like talking to people really in public.
06:41 I'm more, I would talk to you.
06:43 I just want people to know they're all a little different.
06:45 When you know what I'm not.
06:47 So, you ain't going to be talking about me.
06:50 I would say, worry about yourself.
06:54 Everyone is different.
06:56 Everyone is disabled to do something in life.
07:00 Don't judge no one.
07:02 Don't listen to what people tell you.
07:04 Especially if it's negative.
07:06 Because we are able to do something.
07:08 We're able to do a lot of things that other people are not able to do.
07:12 Yes.
07:13 Having OI does not control me.
07:16 I'm still doing everything that I want to do.
07:20 And everything that I know I can do.
07:23 My confidence, yeah, has grown since we've been together.
07:28 I think this is my gritty boosting up more.
07:31 And like, you know, when you show me,
07:35 you have to find true love.
07:39 Awww.
07:41 Yeah.
07:42 I'm living life.
07:44 She's living life.
07:46 Yeah.
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