Awhile back, I received an overwhelming
number of phone calls and messages about
a picture that went viral of a hug
between me and a little girl born
without arms. Meeting her was so special
for me in many different ways.
Three-year-old R.E. came to a special
screening of Right Footed, the
documentary film about my life.
We were showing it at AirVenture, the
world's largest air show held annually
in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Oshkosh was my
final stop on a two-week motivational
tour that took my husband Patrick and I
across Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri,
and Kentucky. Before we left Arizona, I
searched for days for a Facebook message
I had received two years prior from a
mother in Minnesota who had a little
girl who was also born without arms. I
wanted to invite her to the annual
International Child Amputee Network
conference which I was attending in Ohio.
I was disappointed that I couldn't find
the message and just hoped that she would
somehow hear of that event and show up.
Whenever possible, I try to meet and
mentor children and young adults without arms.
It's so important for young people with
disabilities to know that they are not
alone in their circumstances and that
they can lead happy, successful lives
despite the challenges they faced. One of
the hardest things about growing up as a
person without arms was feeling that I
was profoundly different from everyone
else around me. I had no roadmap or guide
to show me how to adapt to life without
arms. But when I was 18, a TV program
featured Barb, a woman without arms who
seemed to have it all.
she was active and independent and had
just had a baby with her husband. She
lived just a couple hours drive from my
home so I arranged a visit. I was amazed
to meet this beautiful, confident woman.
She could pick up her baby, change his
diaper, and perform all kinds of other
tasks with ease.
If she had learned to do all these
things without arms why couldn't I?
Barb challenged me to be more independent.
I finally had a role model and mentor to
help me navigate through physical and
mental challenges. I stopped letting my
mother and other people do things for me
like grocery shopping. I learned how to
do it myself. I tried new things like
moving into my own apartment. In many
ways, Barb's influence put me on
a trajectory I'm on today. Now that I'm an
adult, it's only fair that I give back
what I received. On the day of the Right
Foot screening at AirVenture, I was
sitting in the theater when my husband
told me that someone had messaged him on
Facebook asking to meet. We looked around
and there was Carlin, the same mother
who had messaged me two years prior. Beside
her was her daughter R.E., who's the
cutest little girl. As I walked over to
R.E., she looked at me with wide eyed
surprise. She seemed to be slowly
realizing that I was different from any
of the other people she knew. We walked
out of the theater together and went to
the lobby. We sat on the floor.
This is a special treat because sitting
on the floor is actually more
comfortable for us foot users because it
gives us more support when we're using
our feet and legs. Sitting there with R.E.
I could see how she was watching me very
closely, observing how I went about doing
things and making the connection that,
just like her,
I move around and accomplished everyday
tasks different than others. After she
saw me typing on my phone with my toes,
she excitedly grabbed her mom's phone
and started using her toes to play with it.
I knew she had decided that we'd be
friends when she asked if she could see
my airplane. Being at AirVenture, there
were more than a few Ercoupes for us to
look at. R.E. was able to climb up onto
the wing where I explained how I fly the
airplane with my feet. On the way back to
the museum,
I made sure to be the one driving the
car. I knew that such a demonstration
would be powerful not just for R.E., but
also for her mom. As we said goodbye,
R.E. put her little body against mine
and gave me a hug. As I hugged her back, I
realized that this hug was not like
ninety-nine percent of the hugs I
receive. It was very affirming for me to
be given a hug in the same way I give
hugs. I think her mother summarize the
impact of our encounter when she told me
that before R.E. met me she, would often
say to her mom, "I want arms." Now R.E. says,
"I don't need arms." Carlin recently sent
me a photo of R.E. in an airplane ride in an
amusement park back home. The message
sent with the photo read,
Thanks for watching! If you want to order
a copy of Right Footed for
yourself or your friends, there's a link
down in the description. I also have
another challenge for you.
I take my feet for granted just like you
take your hands for granted. So, this week
I like to see you give someone a hug
without using your arms or hands. Post
some proof down in the comments and I'll
share my favorites on my Facebook page. I
would love to hear your feedback,
questions, and episode ideas down below.
If you like this video, don't forget to
like, subscribe, and share it with someone
who could use a little motivation. After
all, if I fly an airplane without arms,
what is it that you can do?
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