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A man born with his head upside down has defied the odds.

Claudio Vieira de Olivera, 37, of Brazil, was born with congenital arthrogryposis, a rare degenerative disease that caused his limbs to curve, and his head to pull backwards.

According to People, doctors reportedly told de Oliveira’s mother to let him starve.

Now he’s showing the world all that he can do.

“Since I was a child I’ve always liked to keep myself busy and work – I don’t like to depend totally on other people,” he told The Daily Mail. “I do a bit of accounting, research for clients and consulting. I have learned to turn on the TV, pick up my cell phone, turn on the radio, use the internet, my computer – I do it all by myself.”

“Throughout my life I was able to adapt my body to the world,” he said. “Right now, I don’t see myself as being different. I am a normal person. I don’t see things upside-down.”