A young man with a rare spinal disease plays Fortnite with nothing but his own voice cover image

A young man with a rare spinal disease plays Fortnite with nothing but his own voice

“It is so easy to just quit, but you have to learn to adapt.”

Everyone has their own specific way of playing video games. For some, a controller is preferred, while others enjoy using a keyboard and mouse. But for one young man suffering from a rare spinal disease, neither of these options works. So how does he play video games then? He uses nothing but his own voice to play Fortnite.

Here is DeadlyPG's story.

Diagnosed with SMA at a young age, DeadlyPG shares his story and how he uses his voice to play Fortnite

At only six months old, DeadlyPG was diagnosed with a rare disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This heredity disease destroys motor neurons, making your muscles weaker and it difficult to move properly.

This became an obstacle for Deadly to surpass ever since he was an infant. Fortunately, he had a strong spirit.

"I used to be able to use a Playstation controller", said DeadlyPG in an exclusive interview. "But then I lost the ability to, so I had to adapt".

Deadly's love for gaming sparked at just a few years old when he was playing random internet browser games. His transition to the Playstation had him enthralled with the gaming world and everything it had to offer.

He was not going to let his disease stop him from gaming.

"It has been difficult to keep up with players because I am always at a disadvantage", said DeadlyPG. "But you just have to learn to adapt".

And adapt is what he did.

DeadlyPG ditched the normal controller, moving to voice controls when playing Fortnite

In 2016, Deadly decided to change the way he games forever. He got rid of the normal controller and decided to try something different; something that worked better for him.

Using a voice program called "Voice Attack", Deadly has been able to program commands for multiple different games. This allows him to add a command for every bit of movement involved in his game of choice.

"I had to program over 100 commands just for Fortnite", said Deadly. "Some commands took up to six hours just to figure out."

This dedication is a direct correlation with Deadly's love for gaming. Fortnite became playable again for him once he figured out how to utilize his voice.

"Every game has its own individual profile", said Deadly. "The software utilizes Microsoft speech recognition, turning certain words and phrases into controls."

With every obstacle, comes perseverance. DeadlyPG hopes to make gaming his full-time career one day

Every gamer dreams of making it as a full-time competitor and content creator. For DeadlyPG, those dreams have been with I'm since he can remember.

"As long as I have remembered, I wanted to be a creator", said DeadlyPG. "Hopefully one day it works out."

With how much effort and time Deadly has dedicated to his craft, seeing him as a full-time creator and gamer in the future is not unlikely.

DeadlyPG shares advice for anyone struggling with some sort of adversity in the gaming world

Not every gamer gets the luxury of competing on the proper setup. Deadly's story proves that to be true. Though, with the right attitude, everybody can still find a way to do what they love.

"Never give up", said DeadlyPG. "It is so easy to just quit, but you have to learn to adapt."

Deadly's advice of adapting is crucial for those looking to overcome any adversities, in the gaming world and elsewhere.

"Adapting is the most useful skill", said DeadlyPG. "It can be used for almost anything in life. You just have to be patient and figure out what works best for you."

"Adapting is the most useful skill"

DeadlyPG

With hate running through the world, positive outlooks like Deadly's prove that a bad situation is only temporary if you choose to stay positive.

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