A different shaped heart conversations about disability awareness
Welcome to A different shaped heart conversations about being awesome with a disability and raising awareness at the same time and absolutely Yes sometimes you have to say F…..CK you to your own mindset and especially your disability!
A different shaped heart conversations about disability awareness
Breaking Into The Spotlight With CP
Miracle Pelayo Wednesday, October 22, 2025
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On A Winning Heart today (Wednesday, October 22, 2025), Best-Selling Author, Win C welcomes Miracle Pelayo. Miracle is an actor, model, and fashion content creator with Cerebral Palsy. She was born and raised in LA. Miracle has been featured on Nickelodeon’s Bella and The Bulldogs, multiple commercials, such as Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, and many more. To learn more about Miracle visit http://miraclepelayo.com/
Welcome to a winning hunt. You guys, today with me I have Miyosa Palaeo with me. And Miyosa also has CP, but she's lived CP doesn't stop her. Let's just put it that way. And she's lives an amazing wife with CP. And I'm going to let her share her story and introduce herself. So welcome. Mercal.
SPEAKER_01:Hi everybody. My name is Mercal Palaeo, and I'm an actress, model, and fashion content creator at Cervaly. And thank you so much for having me on the show.
SPEAKER_00:You're welcome. And so what is your CPE? And the reason why I'm asking that everyone is because they use CPE as an pro term. There's so many different versions of CPE out there that it's not even funny.
SPEAKER_01:Right, right. So I have spastic diplesia, cerebral palsy. So it normally affects is m affects my movement, coordination, and balance.
SPEAKER_00:So spastic ataxia, cerebral palsy here.
SPEAKER_01:Oh it's spastic depletia, cerebral palsy.
SPEAKER_00:I have I have spastic ataxia cerebopalsy myself.
SPEAKER_01:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00:So what is the depletive part? I understand the spastic part. I understand the CP part, obviously, cerebral palsy. But what is the depletion part?
SPEAKER_01:What makes the different no, I think it's just like um I think honestly, I really don't know the answer to that, but I just know that I have a mild case of cerebral palsy. Um it's and it's mostly affects my right side of my body. That's really all that I know.
SPEAKER_00:So what got you into modeling and acting and fashion?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so growing up, I've always loved um being on the video on the video camera as a little girl. My dad would always video tape me, and um we had those camp quarters that you could convert into a VHS tape, and my dad would say, Um, miracles on TV. And I literally thought I had my own TV show at four years old. So I just loved the camera. And then um, when I was 12, my parents took me to go see the miracle worker, the play on my 12th birthday, and I noticed that the girl playing Helen Keller was able-bodied, playing a disabled character, and I just turned to my parents and I said, you know what? I found out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and so I got into theater at 14 and I started working professionally at the age of 20, and it's been a journey ever since then.
SPEAKER_00:And so what has been the most difficult role that you have played because you're technically disabled, but yet they don't want to give disabled actresses roles, do they?
SPEAKER_01:I think my most difficult part is not just as an actress, but as a whole in general, is like the lack of disability of representation in the media, because we don't really get that much opportunities to audition like a typical actor would. So I think the most difficult part for me is is to just the lack of knowledge that a lot of the professionals don't know about, but that's the whole purpose of going up and you know, showing people that you can do this. And also going back to your original question of how did I get into modeling? Um, I was a part of an organization called Best Buddies, and it's an organization for people with developmental and intellectual disability. And so we would do um photo shoots for different events that Best Buddies would have. And I just tried to I just started to do photo shoots with them. I then did a photo shoot with um Austin Mahone from Radio Disney, Kevin McHale from Glee. I then did photo shoots with Olivia Coplow, who's a model, and so from there it just grew as far as modeling. Lizzie, I'm so I'm so sorry when hold on with just one moment. Lizzie, Lizzie, I'm doing the interview. I need I need Abigail out of here. Um Abigail, Money. Can you I'm so sorry about that when my my niece is that's okay. Yeah, I'm so sorry about that. Um, but yeah, that's that's basically how it all started for me.
SPEAKER_00:So who's been your favorite shoot so far?
SPEAKER_01:I think they're all they're all definitely my favorites, but I think the one that I recently did, um it's called Golden Beauty Project, and it's basically women empowerment with disability. And um, so I just got the final photos back today and I cannot wait to share them with everybody. And then the and then the final product is gonna be um in an exposition. So I think that's my most favorite um project I've worked on as far as photo shoots go.
SPEAKER_00:And I understand you worked uh were in a commercial with Nickelodeon.
SPEAKER_01:Um yes, I well, it wasn't actually a commercial, it was a co-star role that I did for Nickelodeon's Bella and the Bulldogs, and I became the first actress in the wheelchair to be on a kids' television network in 2016.
SPEAKER_00:How cool was that? Thank you so much. How cool is that? So how did they find you and what made them choose you of all people?
SPEAKER_01:So thank you. Um, so the reps that I had at the time would submit me for auditions, and that was just one of the auditions that came up, and so I went in, did the audition, and I I got the call back, and then about a week later I booked the job. So it just depends on the role that I get submitted from for my my team, and then we just have to wait and see if if I book the job or not. So, but thankfully Nickelodeon, I did I did book the job.
SPEAKER_00:So um, so what would you say to people that are in general trying to get into modeling and acting?
SPEAKER_01:I would say I would say to you guys um don't give up, you know, and also work on your craft. Um, I cannot recommend this enough, but getting into acting classes has really, really shaped me and build up my confidence to be in front of the camera and to be networking. Like I'm in acting classes every single Sunday with my acting coach Danielle Vermengo, and she's incredible. And um just really work on your craft and really just be disciplined and make sure that this is something that you really want to do because you have to be um kind to everybody in this business. You know, not everybody is gonna get the next job. There's a lot of competition. So I would definitely make sure that this is what you love to do and just make sure that you discipline yourself enough to make sure that this is something that you really want.
SPEAKER_00:And so I know um for act well for everyone in general, COVID took a huge toll on everyone in the community.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:So what how has that shaped you since coming out of COVID? Are you getting less jobs or more jobs or equally uh about the same?
SPEAKER_01:Well, when the pandemic happened, we actually went through um a lot of self-tapes, which means like you're you're you do the auditions at home. Um, you actually no longer go into a casting office. Um so that was a big change. So thankfully I have a setup of like backdrops or ring light, and I can just get in the tape from home and send it to my agents right then and there. And um, but you know, it definitely changed our world in many, many different ways. But I'm just grateful that I'm still doing what I love to do despite the pandemic, and it's really made me appreciate the in-person auditions when I do get them on occasion. So um it just during that time it's it was rough, but I learned to be more grateful for what I have now.
SPEAKER_00:Now, do you have a degree in any of this, or is this something you just enjoy without the degree?
SPEAKER_01:It's I didn't have a I don't have a group a degree with acting. I just took acting classes as much as I could. Um, I did go to Long Beach City College for one semester. I took acting classes there, but this is just something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life and that I thoroughly and truly enjoy.
SPEAKER_00:Well, isn't that amazing? And how can people find you? How can people get a hold of you if they want to get a hold of you?
SPEAKER_01:Um, well, my my website is miraclepalao.com, M-I-R-A-C-L-E, C-E-L-A-Y-O.com. My social media is um, my Instagram is miraclepalaio official, my Twitter is miraclepal23, my Twitter, my Snapchat, no, I'm sorry, my Twitter account is Miracle Palaio 20, my Snapchat is Miracle Palaio 23, and my Facebook page is Miracle Palaio.
SPEAKER_00:So you're all over the place on social media, and what's the best way for people to contact you as for interviews and all that good stuff?
SPEAKER_01:As far as like business inquiries, please reach out to my agents at DDO Artists Agency and my manager Al Patrice.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So we've got all that. And Mir Miracle, do you have any questions for me?
SPEAKER_01:No, I'm totally good. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much. And you guys, I hope you enjoyed another fabulous episode. I certainly did, and I hope that you turn tune in next week. Bye you guys. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you.
