We love being able to share impactful stories about the lived experiences of people with disabilities to empower and educate the public. The following is a story from James Jordan about his daughter Ava and how a life changing event may have been the most wondeful thign that happened to them.
"Born as a left below elbow amputee myself and having lived my life learning the ins and outs, ups and downs, and everything in-between about being an amputee, (including working with amputee children and their families for over 15 years and dedicating my life's work to advocating for amputees) you can imagine it was quite the surprise to learn at Ava's twenty week ultrasound she would also be born with a below elbow amputation on her right arm, similar to her dad. This is something that to my knowledge has never been heard of before and the chances of this happening are like one in a million!
My first thought, someone is definitely pulling a prank on me, haha! When I realized this was not the case, and it started setting in that this is real, the feeling is really hard to put into words. Knowing how rare the chances are that this would happen, the only way to describe what I was thinking once I got past the initial shock of the situation is: what a beautiful anomaly this truly is! Yes, I'll admit I cried, but they were definitely tears of joy because I knew this was something special and she was put here for a reason.
Fortunately for me, again being an amputee myself and working with amputees and their parents all across the country, this gave me the opportunity to connect and meet with so many AMAZING people over my lifetime, and constantly be inspired by these individuals. It was because of this experience I had, that I knew right away Ava would be just fine and also one of these amazing people. I knew that she was going to be an even stronger person because of this.
My hope is, by sharing our story we can help other amputees and parents who are experiencing amputation for the first time. It can be quite overwhelming at first, I know, but it won't take long before you start noticing just how strong these individuals really are. There is no doubt they will amaze you and make you proud at every turn. If there's one thing I can say about amputees having met so many in my life, it's that the determination level and resilience of these individuals is incredibly high. There really is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
As for Ava, as her father I couldn't be more proud of her every single day, watching her grow and figure things out. She is already so independent and determined to do things herself, very stubborn and a bit feisty, but that is needed as an amputee. The way she uses her little nubby for everything already amazes me, she is way ahead of the game already. She is so determined to do things herself like put on her own coats, hats, shoes, and I swear uses her nubby better than some kids use their actual hands. It's funny to see her copy me and do things the way I do them. I have no doubt in my mind this girl was brought here for a reason and will some day go on to achieve great things and inspire many.. And I will make sure until my dying breath that I will be the wind beneath this angels wings and lift her as high as I possibly can.
I am working on and planning to launch a social media page that follows our story together as amputees, in hopes to inspire others, as well provide support to other amputees and their families going through similar challenges. We hope to have your support here!"
Written by: James Jordan