Teacher Refuses To Let Muscular Dystrophy Slow Him Down

FRESNO, Calif. -- After being diagnosed with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy at the age of 16, Edison High School teacher Shue Vang has refused to let it slow him down.

"As long as I'm still breathing and, you know, able to do what I love to do then I'm going to keep grinding until I can't," Vang said. The disease has cost him the use of his legs, forcing him into a wheelchair.

"Over time I will get weaker and weaker, and may be wheelchair-bound for the rest of my life," he said. With no cure for muscular dystrophy available, Vang has chosen to remain positive as he teaches chemistry classes at Edison.

"I actually think it's really effective," he said of teaching in a wheelchair. "Now I'm on the same level of students who are sitting at their desk." He also said that students are always helpful, aiding him with passing out papers and other tasks.

"I have simple rules in this class: if you drop something please pick it up. And if I drop something, you got to pick it up too," he said with a laugh.

Vang recently decided to test the limits after being invited to Zion National Park by a group his sister frequents, F5 Challenge. He made it to the top of Angels Landing with the help of the team. The experience in Zion was his first hike in 20 years.

Vang says it was former teachers who pushed him to continue chasing his dream of education, and he hopes his attitude and story help others do the same.

"I'm just very blessed that I can still do something that I love. I hope that I can be, you know, just someone that students can look up to and realize that hey whatever your obstacles whatever your limitations, you can still achieve dreams and goals that may seem impossible," he said.

You can read more about Vang's climb here.