Nick Vujicic was born to Dushka and Boris Vujicic in 1982 in Melbourne,
Australia. Although he was an otherwise healthy baby, Nick was born
without arms and legs; he had no legs, but two small feet, one of which
had two toes. Nick has two siblings, Michelle and Aaron. Initially, a
Victoria state law prevented Nick from attending a mainstream school
due to his physical disability in spite of a lack of mental impairment.
However, Vujicic became one of the first physically disabled students
integrated into a mainstream school once those laws changed. However,
his lack of limbs made him a target for school bullies, and he fell
into a severe depression. At age eight, he contemplated suicide and
even tried to drown himself in his bathtub at age ten; his love for his
parents prevented him from following through. He also stated in his
music video "Something More" that God had a plan for his life and he
could not bring himself to drown because of this.
Nick prayed very hard that God would give him arms and legs, and
initially told God that, if his prayer remained unanswered, Nick would
not praise him indefinitely. However, a key turning point in his faith
came when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing
with a severe disability. Vujicic realized he wasn't unique in his
struggles and began to embrace his lack of limbs. After this, Nick
realized his accomplishments could inspire others and became grateful
for his life.
Nick gradually figured out how to live a full life without limbs,
adapting many of the daily skills limbed people accomplish without
thinking. Nick writes with two toes on his left foot and a special grip
that slid onto his big toe. He knows how to use a computer and can type
up to 45 words per minute using the "heel and toe" method. He has also
learned to throw tennis balls, play drum pedals, get a glass of water,
comb his hair, brush his teeth, answer the phone and shave, in addition
to participating in golf, swimming, and even sky-diving.
During secondary school, he was elected captain of MacGregor State in
Queensland and worked with the student council on fundraising events
for local charities and disability campaigns. When he was seventeen, he
started to give talks at his prayer group, and later founded his
non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs.