'It takes a little more to brave it and be different;' Syracuse woman inspiring others
SYRACUSE, NY -- A Syracuse woman with a rare genetic disability isn't letting it get in the way of her passion, cooking.
Bryony Grealish was born with only one finger on each hand, and one toe on each foot. She's now embracing her disability, hoping to inspire others along the way.
Ever since Bryony Grealish was 8 years old, she had a love for cooking. It all started from watching her dad.
"He let me make my first food item, which was grilled cheese," recalled Grealish.
From there her passion grew, even exploring the world of pastries.
"My brother Josh was in the Navy and he called me the 'petite petty officer' of desserts because I would always send him stuff," added Grealish.
But being in the kitchen has its challenges. Grealish was born with Ectrodactyly Dectodermal Dysplasia, meaning fingers and toes are either missing or fused together.
Doctors say her condition is severe.
"I get a lot of people in the community that don't react so well," said Grealish.
She had to learn everything on her own, like how to hold a knife. Even finding different tools to hep her become a professional in the kitchen.
"It really makes it a lot easier than trying to hold a knife and all of the chives at the same time, that's really frustrating for me because things slip out of her hand really easy and I can't get a good grip," demonstrated Grealish, as she cut chives.
It's those obstacles that motivated her to take a leap and create her own catering business, The Fingerless Kitchen.
Partnering with local farmers to help showcase food from our area.
"To do cheese, charcuteries,breads, jams, jellies, mustards, pickled garlic scapes and putting them all together on these boards," described Grealish.
As her business is in the works, she hopes to inspire people with disabilities.
"It takes a lot of bravery to live this life, just as a typical person, but it takes a little more to brave it and be different," added Grealish.
By showing them to reach for their dreams and never give up.
