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12 | THE REVIEW SEP–DEC 2022 Above: Thomas’ parents always pushed for him to do things for himself. Photo: Melanie Louden. Getting the best outcome no matter the circumstance Thomas Chin is a young man on a mission to increase opportunities for people living with a disability. By MELANIE LOUDEN When a barrier appears in front of Thomas Chin he has one goal – to switch it into an opportunity. Thomas (Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Rahurahu), 22, lives at his family home in Christchurch with his twin brother Harry. He is currently working part time, while studying law. It all sounds pretty typical for a young man living in Aotearoa New Zealand. But Thomas’ life, and experiences, have been far from typical. Thomas and Harry were “prem babies” - they were born 10 weeks early in March 2000. Due to their prematurity, the boys were in the neonatal intensive care unit for eight weeks, and Thomas was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth. Thomas says he never had “the excuse of resting on my laurels” and his parents’ push for him to do things for himself meant he grew up a very independent young man.