Hey guys, no spotlight today but don’t despair. People send me links, articles and video’s from time to time featuring other people with limb differences… and I think that’s kinda sweet. So in lieu of a spotlight today, I thought I’d pass along some of these gems from around the web. Hope you enjoy!
Everyone and their dog emailed me when a girl with no hands won the national penmanship award. What a cool accomplishment.
Thank you everyone! (and your dog)
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Reader, Elin, from Norway sent me a link with the following explanation:
I just wanted to tell you about a tv-show that has been running on Norwegian tv, “Ingen grenser” – No limits. It’s lead by a man, Lars Monsen, who is famous for doing long expeditions in the wilderness and living most of his life outdoors, and he brings a group of people with different challenges on a hiking trip outdoors. On this last series, a woman with no legs and only one arm went with him and even climbed a mountain 🙂 I think this is awsome. Now, this is tough even for us who have legs and arms, and not all who have disabilities are interested in climbing mountains, but I think this woman is such a good example of how much a person can accomplish with a little bit of help and a lot of determination. Can you imagine Lamp hiking and climbing mountains?
Read the story here.
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Finally my grandpa sent this video to me a while ago and I have to say it’s been one of my very favorite person-with-a-limb-difference videos ever. Not so much the audition (which is very good!) but his story. If I could fly to Australia and kiss his mom on the check I would. You may need tissue for this one. You’ve been warned.
As always, if you or someone you know would like to participate in the special needs spotlight series please email me at thislittlemiggy at gmail dot com.
Have a great weekend!
To add to I'm sure what is an endless list of links that people send you…These guys are really cool. I met Luca when we were on the same swim team as kids. http://www.illabilitiescrew.com/
And here's a nice interview him: http://www.panoramitalia.com/en/life-people/profiles/luca-lazylegz-patuelli-excuses-limits/7/
And just as a note, I think anytime a person has a characteristic that makes them different, there is a pressure to let that define them. And while Luca has certainly made his disability a big part of his life and his career, I think it's worth sharing that I'm under the impression that that was very much his choice. As I kid, I actually don't remember being particularly impressed with him, because he just seemed like a normal kid on the team. No one gave him extra attention. (And I mean that in a good way–whatever accomodations he needed were just provided like it was no big deal.) He had friends. I remember him as one of the "cool kids", whatever that meant to me at that age.
I guess my point is, I just hope that one day Miss Lamp knows that when readers like me send links and praise her amazing accomplishments, we are calling attention to her uniqueness in only the most loving way. But that doesn't mean we think Lamp=limb differences. Of course, limb differences will always be a huge part of her life, but that doesn't push out of the picture the other huge parts of her life: being a toddler, a sister, a daugher, a cutie…and one day a teenager, a woman, a student, a [whatever career she chooses], whose hoobies include ____, whose favorite color is ____, who always wears her hair ____, whose pet peeve is _____.
Lamp, you have fans. For a million reasons. Only one of those is your limb differences.
I love your blog. I just love it.
Alexis–thank you! I couldn't agree more. I have never wanted her or even our family identity to be about Lamp and her limb differences. Many times it does take center stage due to needs, changes (a new prosthetic, power chair) or even just her figuring new things out. On the one hand I get why she gets some attention for her differences and how she adapts…I'm her mom and I find it fascinating and inspiring. However just like any mom I feel that way about both my kids and there is something well-of-course-she-figured-that-out-no-big-deal about it too.
Thanks for sending those links—I'm loving the illabilities crew. Just people doing what they love to do.
Hilary–hugs to you. You're awesome.
Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!! What an amazing job that mother has done! I bawled my eye's out. Two such beautiful, confident and happy boys, they are every mother's dream.