Defying Prognosis: Abad Finds his own Therapy

YDDDY Instagram

Shortya_official 

We set up at the Abilities Expo Chicago and sat down with Abad, a 23-year-old Chicagoan seeing the convention for the first time, to talk grit, gear, and the joy of sports. Doctors once said he wouldn’t walk or talk; today he’s walking short distances with braces, rolling long ones with a chair, making sports content, and using a backyard hoop as a meditation mat. It’s a Speedcast with heart: the kind of conversation that jumps from all-terrain wheelchairs and grant options to Cubs optimism and the calm that only a clean jumper can bring.

We dig into what sacral agenesis actually means day to day—how a missing tailbone touches movement, balance, and even the most basic routines—and why a broken power chair is more than an inconvenience. Abad opens up about playing wheelchair basketball and softball before the pandemic cut seasons short, then finding a rhythm again at home. He shares how posting sports takes on TikTok builds a community that understands both the box score and the backstory.

There’s purpose threaded through the plays. Abad’s message is direct: your disability doesn’t define you. He channels that belief into action with his brand YDDDY, directing proceeds to Free Wheelchair Mission to expand access to mobility worldwide. We swap notes on adaptive tech that widens the map—chairs built for sand, setups that reduce fatigue, smarter paths to funding—and celebrate the small routines that protect mental health. If you’re into adaptive sports, disability advocacy, mobility tech, or just a great Chicago sports chat, you’ll feel at home here.

Transcript

On-Location Speedcast Setup

SPEAKER_02 0:00

What's up guys? As you can see, we're not in the studio at home. We're actually at the Ability's Expo in Chicago, and this podcast is gonna be a little different. It's gonna be like a speed cast. The sound is not gonna be as great because of how wide open this space is. But I hope you guys enjoy it. Please enjoy this Life to the Max. What is up everybody? It is Life to the Max Podcast, and we are at the Abilities Expo in Schomburg, Illinois. It is June 27th, 2025, and today I am here with Abod. Abod. Thank you for coming on the show.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Yeah, thank you for having me. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 0:59

Yeah, of course. Um so what brings you out to the abilities expound.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Uh it's actually my first time here. Yeah. Um, first time like ever. Uh in my first day. I know it's been two other days. Uh it's my first day here. So honestly, it's been uh cool to see all the stuff, like all the different stuff that they have. Um honestly, like I I saw like the wheelchair where like the like it couldn't go on the sand. Makes me want to buy it on the spot, but I know it's too expensive. Uh but honestly, it's been great. Uh, I've been enjoying my time.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

There's definitely grants for that if you look into it. I think he probably told you that I'm good friends with him. They're the action track was yeah. Uh how old are you, my guy?

SPEAKER_01 1:45

23.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

23? Yeah. So 29. I see we're both repping Chicago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Yeah. Born and raised.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

Born and raised?

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Northside.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

So may I ask uh what happened to you or what disability you have?

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Yeah, so uh I was born with uh sacral hygenesis, which is a very rare condition. Uh not a lot of people have it. Um so it's basically like I don't have a tailbone. Uh the tailbone is what like helps you walk, grow, uh use the bathroom. It helps you in many different ways. Um so luckily I've been blessed to be I can walk uh a little bit uh with my AFLs and braces. Uh I use wheelchair like mostly for like long distance. Yeah. Um I have a power chair, but unfortunately it broke down. Uh so it broke down. Um, but uh yeah, so I was born with sacred hygienes um and been living with it my whole life. Honestly, it's been an up and down battle, roller coaster. Yeah, but uh I'm blessed to still be here. The doctors told my parents that I had less than six months, that I wasn't gonna be able to walk, talk here, and 23 years later I'm doing exactly what they said I wasn't gonna be able to do.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

What do you do on TikTok?

Sports as Therapy and Identity

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Uh so I basically do like a lot of sports content. Oh, you play sports? Yeah, I do like sports. Uh I play sports at home. Uh, I do a lot of uh like different content, like talk about sports, that's the thing that I love to do. What's your favorite sport, bro? Uh so my ranking is basketball, then football, and then depending on the season, uh, in terms of like soccer and baseball. So right now I'm more focused on baseball because the Cubs are doing good. Um, and then soccer. I watch the league in Mexico and they're not doing too good right now. So um I'm more focused on uh baseball right now.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Dude, I am so into sports that that's all I do is watch sports. I watch all baseball. I'm watching the cups as well. Picrow armed strong. Yeah, skill at it. MVP. MVP for sure helps besides shoey O'Telling again. But uh yeah, the sports have definitely uh like helped me um like like leave the world and like and enjoy myself and like kind of like wind down, like because sports helps me with that back thing as well.

Adaptive Play, Pandemic Pause, and Purpose

SPEAKER_01 4:06

So I'm happy it helps you as well. Yeah, definitely. I mean, for me personally, like I use basketball as a way to like meditate. I play basketball outside in my backyard, so it's like a way for me to like zone out into everything that's going out out in the world, or just like what I'm going through. And I just like play basketball either if I'm like upset, if I'm mad, you know, I just use it as a therapy um mentally and physically. And so yeah, I mean, basketball and um and all the other sports help me in so many different ways. And can you explain how you play your sports? Yeah, so I I like I said I can walk. So uh I played uh basketball. I played wheelchair basketball in the past in high school. Um, but due to the whole pandemic and COVID, uh the season got cut off short, unfortunately. So um, but yeah, I played wheelchair basketball before, I played uh wheelchair softball before. Um and but now I don't do it anymore. Uh I do uh basketball, like I just play it in my backyard, that's for fun. Um and honestly, like I said, it's a way for me to like use to like meditate and uh for therapy.

Message, Brand, and Closing CTA

SPEAKER_02 5:17

So dude, I love it. I love that you're uh finding ways to just distract yourself from the situation. Oh yeah, most definitely. That's all that's how I am. I feel the same way. Yeah, it's like I I uh I'm so happy uh you decided to come on the podcast. So happy you decided to come out to the ability's expo. I haven't been here since 2018. I started the podcast in 2021, so and then I was like, you know what? I'm gonna interview people. I I've heard like the like the most amazing stories, like sad stories from being saying like the strength thought they give me, like you. Yeah, you give me strength, and I've I I appreciate you coming on the show. Is there anything you would like to say to the people out there?

SPEAKER_01 6:07

Uh honestly, uh as a way of reminding everyone your disability doesn't define you. Uh you guys can find me at shortya underscore official. I also have my own brand called YDDDY. Um, all the proceeds uh go to a charity called Free Wheelchair Mission. Um, so you guys can definitely check that out on my Instagram, TikTok. Um, and then appreciate you, Max, for having me on the show. Honestly, keep doing your thing. Um, I've been a supporter of yours and honestly, God bless you, bro, and appreciate you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Yeah, well, uh I'll put all those links in the description below for everything that you said. Yep. Um if you guys enjoyed this contest, please like it, comment, and subscribe. And as always, take a breath from me. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

I head on a swivel looking out for the locus. I'm on stand so trying to dive my phone. Am I the next best thing?