In her TED talk “I got 99 problems… palsy is just one,” Maysoon Zayid humorously and poignantly discusses her life with cerebral palsy (CP). Born to Palestinian parents in New Jersey, Zayid’s CP resulted from medical malpractice during her birth. Despite her condition, Zayid’s parents instilled in her a “can-do” attitude, encouraging her to participate fully in life alongside her siblings.Zayid recounts various experiences from her childhood, including her father’s creative methods to teach her to walk and the quirky remedies her parents tried during summer trips to Palestine. Her upbringing was marked by a blend of strict encouragement and humorous resilience, fostering a belief that she could achieve anything.Facing significant challenges in her pursuit of an acting career, Zayid found that Hollywood favored able-bodied actors for disabled roles. This realization led her to comedy, where she carved a niche, performing in the US and the Middle East. She co-founded the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival to combat stereotypes and increase Arab representation in media.Zayid’s big break came as a contributor on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” despite initial setbacks. She highlights the cruelty she faced online but emphasizes the importance of positive representation of disabilities in media. Her advocacy extends to founding a charity for Palestinian refugee children, inspired by her own journey of overcoming obstacles.Zayid concludes with a tribute to her father and a message of empowerment: if she can achieve her dreams despite her challenges, others can too.
