FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Imagine losing the ability to walk before you even reach your teenage years, and then having to learn how to live your life in a completely different way.

That has been the reality for 26-year-old Fresno man Alfonso Reyes, who has spent most of his life adapting to muscular dystrophy.

Reyes was diagnosed with the genetic disease when he was just two years old. Doctors told his family he had one of the more aggressive forms of the condition, which causes progressive muscle weakness.

By the time he was around 11 years old, Reyes could no longer walk.

“I still remember that day like I was laying in bed,” Reyes said. “I used to be able to get up by myself or rest and do all that. And one day I couldn’t do it anymore.”

But losing his ability to walk didn’t mean losing his passions.

Sports have always played a major role in Reyes’ life. His room is filled with reminders of the teams he loves, including the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Pumas.

For years, wheelchair soccer gave him a way to stay connected to the sports he loved.

But as his muscular dystrophy progressed, even that outlet eventually became too difficult.

Reyes then turned his attention to education, hoping to pursue a career as a sports commentator.

He attended Fresno City College before transferring to Fresno State. But he eventually had to leave school because he says the accommodations he needed outside the classroom were not available.

“I needed help outside the classroom,” Reyes said. “I needed help using the restroom. And they told my mom, ‘We don’t provide that service.’”

The setback took a toll on him.

“For a few months, I thought it was just a phase,” he said. “Then months went on. I’m like, ‘I don’t feel the same.’ You know, I don’t watch football, basketball in the same way.”

Then another door opened.

With a camera, a laptop and the help of his best friend, who also has muscular dystrophy, Reyes found a new way to connect with people.

Social media became his new outlet.

Now, Reyes runs three YouTube channels focused on sports, video games and disability. In less than a year, he has created more than 140 videos discussing life with a disability and the issues facing the disability community.

One of those channels is called “Muscular Dystrophy Warrior.”

On the channel, Reyes opens up about his own experiences and interviews other people living with disabilities.

His goal is bigger than simply creating content.

“I hope to talk about different disabilities, you know, and stereotypes, because there’s a lot of stereotypes in the disability community,” Reyes said. “Educate people. But I feel like the more people I reach through social media, YouTube”

Reyes hopes that reach can eventually translate into real-world change.

“If I can become successful, maybe I can do a little bit more,” he said. “Create public spaces, you know, have ramps to spaces that don’t have that, or have a foundation where I can donate stuff, equipment, whatever, to different countries.”

For Reyes, advocacy is about making life easier for the people who come after him.

He wants his experiences, both the obstacles and the victories, to help change the way people view disability.

And his message to others is simple:

“Don’t let your disability define you.”

Reyes says his journey is still evolving, but he hopes his voice can help educate others, challenge stereotypes and create a more accessible world for the next generation.